Better In Time
by Helennnn
Summary: Being a part of the Rebellion Army was hard work for anyone. But when Bulma's life starts to spin out of control, everything becomes just that much worse and she finds that the only person who can save her, is someone she would never have thought cared.
1. The Prince

**Chapter 1 – The Prince**

"What makes you so sure that he will work with us? Or that we could even trust him?" A woman's voice called from the other side of the table, "He works for _him_ after all!"

"If you had been paying more attention to our meetings more than your personal life then you would have found out the reasons why he could quite possibly want kill him." A man retorted, "His father gave him to the tyrant known as Frieza when he was just four years old. And for the past fifteen years, he has been living in slavery doing everything and anything Frieza demands him to because he has no other choice but to follow the orders he is given!"

The blonde woman glared at the man who had just disrespected her. So what if it was kind of true that she had been more focused on her family rather than her job? Her husband and her daughter were her world and all she had left now and she would not let her job keep them apart. However, it would not be worth the argument if she said anything in response to his accusation.

Since her planet had been taken over by Frieza's men, her and her family left the planet on one of the very few space ships and travelled through space until they were eventually found by the Rebellion Army. The Rebellion Army were basically every living creature that refused to live in slavery or fear any longer. They were constantly battling with Frieza's army and every single day they had new comers who wished to join and help take down the tyrant.

Many rumours had been travelling throughout the Rebellion Army that there was a young boy, a very special young boy that could help destroy Frieza. It was said that he was born with a rare and legendary power locked away inside of him just waiting for the moment to burst free and rid the Universe of its deadly tyrant. It was said that his power was unrivalled and that he would become even stronger than Frieza.

Of course many people didn't believe a word of it. How could a boy, no older than nineteen, destroy an evil ruler that was known to be the strongest and most sadistic being in the Universe? Just for fun, Frieza would choose a random planet and purge it. Or sometimes, he would just blow the planet up completely.

"All I am trying to say is that," The blonde woman took a deep breath, "perhaps, being with Frieza for fifteen years has changed him. Perhaps he is what people say. Perhaps he is just as cold and as ruthless as Frieza because Frieza was basically a father figure for the child as he was growing up!"

The man she had early been shown up by shook his head, "He is the Prince of all Saiyans. He would never forget who he is, _never_."

"Perhaps it is time you faced the truth Bardock," She whispered sadly, "We have been searching for Prince Vegeta for well over seven years now and there is still no trace of him. Only destroyed planets with no inhabitants left because they have all been murdered… by him."

Bardock glared at the human woman, "No. I will not believe it. My son is a part of the Prince's squadron and he would not allow for him to forget who he is and neither would Nappa."

"Believe what you want Bardock, but I am tired of sending my daughter into space every other week to search for him. I am tired of being terrified that she won't return to me."

"Kakarot would never let any harm come to Bulma, Bunny." Bardock spoke more calmly, "She is like a sister to him."

Bunny smiled sadly at him, "Kakarot may be the strongest in the Rebellion army, but he isn't the strongest in the Universe." She said before leaving the room to leave Bardock with his thoughts.

Fifteen years ago, his planet was destroyed. His mate was murdered a long with the rest of his race. As far as he knew, there was only six Saiyans left in the entire Universe. But he refused to give up hope.

Bardock was brought out of his thoughts when the main door to the meeting room opened and his twin brother walked in silently with his chin held high.

"What do you want Turles?" Bardock sighed and rubbed his temple. He was tired and he wanted nothing more than to go to sleep.

Since the night of Vegeta-sei's destruction, Bardock had been having visions. That was how he and his four year old son got off of the planet. Before they left, Bardock went searching for his mate but by the time he found her, she was already dead. Through Bardock's visions, they had been able to find the Prince's location but every time somebody got to the planet that Vegeta was on, he was already gone and like Bunny had said not too long ago, there was only death and destruction left on the planets.

"Kakarot and Bulma have returned," Turles stated, "They did not find the Prince."

Bardock dragged his hand down his face until it landed on the table in front of him. He really was exhausted. The visions he received always took a lot out of him, they usually left him with a migraine that would last for a day or two. However Dr Briefs had made some sort of medicine to help ease the pain so that it wasn't as bad but it still left him feeling sluggish and tired.

"They will find him one day," Turles said after feeling his twin brother's emotions.

His brother wasn't an easy man to read. He kept his emotions well hidden, especially in front of the others. But Turles was always able to read his twin's mind and he could feel his emotions. It was something all twins as far as they know of could do.

"I know. But every day the Prince gets farther and farther out of reach. Every day his mind is unhinging, no matter how hard Raditz and Nappa try to keep him grounded and sane."

"What do you mean, brother?"

Bardock sighed once more and stared at the table, "I keep seeing him, Turles. He is becoming more unstable with each passing day. He used to kill quickly so that his victims would feel no pain but now, he draws out the deaths so that he feels like he is in control for once. He is changing Turles and I don't know if anything would be able to help him now."

"How do you know all of this?" A feminine voice spoke from behind the two men.

Turles and Bardock's heads snapped around to see a blue haired girl and a carbon copy of the two twin brothers standing in the doorway, each with an angry frown on their faces.

"It is rude to eaves drop, girl." Turles reprimanded the nineteen year old girl.

The blue haired girl strutted into the meeting room with Kakarot right behind her, "Who said I was eaves dropping? It's not my fault neither of you sensed Kakarot or me."

"That is because we were not expecting you."

"Of course," The girl smirked, "But wasn't it you, Bardock, who said we should always be aware of our surroundings? And was it, or was it not, you who said we should know where everyone is every second of the day?"

"You know it was, girl." Bardock glared at her.

"My name is Bulma, not girl." She returned his glare with much more intensity. "Now what were you saying about Vegeta?"

Turles frowned as he spoke, "_Prince _Vegeta's mind is becoming more unbalanced with every day he is stuck serving the lizard."

Bulma looked behind her to see her closest and best friend's expression. As usual, it was empty but she could see passed it. She could see the worry and concern in his eyes at his Prince's wellbeing. Whenever she was unsure of something, she would look to Kakarot.

When she first arrived ten years ago, she was so uncertain about everything mainly because everyone kept to themselves, everyone except Kakarot. He was the same age as her and when he first saw her looking so hesitant and scared he wanted to help her. Kakarot wasn't like the other Saiyans. When he was escaping from Vegeta-sei with his father and Turles, he suffered a blow to the head which should have killed him. However he was saved with the help of his father and uncle's ki. He was healed and now the only evidence of what happened was the scar at the back of his head and the slightly cheerful attitude.

However, with the fifteen years of growing up in an army that was constantly fighting, moving, or on the lookout for Frieza, his Saiyan heritage and mind started to come back to him. He was still the cheery boy he had been when he first arrived but now, he was stronger and more battle ready. If he had to, he would not hesitate in killing someone who posed a threat to him or his comrades. The younger version of him, the carefree version who found the happy in every situation, would have been disgusted with this version of himself. But what could he do about it? That is what happens when you grow up always on the run and forever fighting for the freedom of the Universe.

"So what do we do?" Kakarot asked in a serious voice, "Are there any leads on where he may be now, father?"

Bardock shook his head, "No. Right now, he is back on Frieza's ship. That much we do know. But I will be on the lookout for any news on where the Prince may be going on his next mission."

"What happens when we do find Vegeta?" Bulma asked, suddenly unsure "What if he is already too far gone and just kills us?"

"You will call him Prince Vegeta," Turles said for what seemed like the millionth time since he met the human girl.

Bulma shrugged, "I will show him no more respect than what I show for everyone else."

Kakarot sighed at his stubborn friend, "Bulma has a point, father. What happens if he is too far gone and tries to kill us?"

"Tries?" Turles laughed darkly, "There would be no trying about it. I just hope you both are fast enough to get the hell out of there if he does lose it."

"Turles," Bardock said angrily, "Do not speak that way. The Prince may be strong but with his mind being as unstable as it is, he is not at his strongest. However, that does not mean that he isn't going to be dangerous."

"What do you mean?" Bulma asked, "If he is not at his strongest then it shouldn't be too hard to get off of the planet and back to headquarters."

Bardock shook his head again, "Nappa and Raditz are bound by oath to follow his every command. If he cannot kill you both or even catch you both himself, he could just order them to do it."

"So what you're saying is…?" Turles pushed on. He already knew about Nappa and Raditz swearing by oath that with every second of their lives, they would honour and protect their Prince and if it came to it, they would die for him too.

"What I am saying is that he will be extremely unpredictable. If he knows you won't be expecting him to ignore the chance of there being a challenge of fighting you both, he will take it. Growing up on Frieza's ship and being taught how to fight by the lizard and his lackeys has only shown him how to fight dirty. Raditz and Nappa have tried their best to keep his fighting the way a Saiyan's should be, but Frieza has proved to have a lot of effect on him and the other two."

"Then how do we convince him to rebel against Frieza and join our army? What makes you think that he won't just kill us and then tell Frieza that the Rebellion Army have been trying to recruit him?" Bulma argued.

"Because he, Nappa and Raditz will see Kakarot and they will see that Frieza has been lying to them and that there are more Saiyans that are still alive."

Turles scoffed, "Three Saiyans. What makes you think that he is going to change sides and revolt against one of the strongest tyrants in the Universe, just because there are another three Saiyans that are still alive?"

"We are still his people and it is his duty as our Prince to do what is best for us." Bardock said in a matter-of-factly tone.

It was true. By blood and by law, Prince Vegeta was bound to his people whether they were dead or alive. Also, because of his Royal blood status, he was connected to each and every Saiyan that was still alive. Truth be told, the twin brothers were surprised that Vegeta hadn't realised sooner that there were three more Saiyans still alive.

Bulma sighed and pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear, "Well if he is the only chance we have at defeating Frieza, then we're just going to have to take that chance."

Kakarot nodded his agreement, "We will train until you have any news on the where about of the Prince."

The blue haired human groaned. They were always training. Since the day she arrived ten years ago to this very day, they trained. It was kind of like a routine. They would wake up bright and early, eat breakfast before everyone else and then train right through the day until dinner. After dinner, they would rest for the evening or attend a late night meeting.

For a human, Bulma was unusually strong. When she turned five, she had taken martial arts lessons with a man called Master Roshi. He was a turtle hermit and a pretty nice guy. He had taught her how to sense ki, how to use her own, how to control it, how to mask it and obviously, he taught her how to fight.

When she was nine years old, the planet Earth was invaded by a group of Frieza's followers. She and her parents had no other choice but to run. So they took one of the few space ships that was on Earth and escaped without any of the alien's realising. They all still felt incredibly guilty for abandoning Earth and the human race but her parents were doing what was best for their only daughter. They didn't want her to die.

Like she said earlier, every day since she had arrived at the Rebellion Army's headquarters, she had trained with Kakarot. She didn't know what her exact power level was, but she knew it was somewhere in the high thousands, if not hundreds of thousands.

At first, the Saiyans had been worried about her gaining so much power because of her 'weak' body. They thought that maybe with too much power, her body wouldn't be able to control it and the power could destroy her. But she proved them all wrong. She took pride in being the strongest human to have ever lived just like she took pride in her beauty and intelligence.

"Fine then, let's go train." Bulma said reluctantly before leaving the meeting room with Kakarot following her.


	2. No Mercy

**Chapter 2 – No Mercy**

It had been three weeks before Bardock heard any news about Prince Vegeta. For three weeks he had been focused on nothing but the Prince and Frieza's decisions. If anything, he may have been concentrating a little too hard because now, he had a killer headache. Also, sometimes when he focused too much or too hard on certain things, vital pieces of information slipped passed him.

When he finally did get some news on the Prince's whereabouts, Bardock wasted no time in sending Bulma and his son Kakarot to the planet Shinsei. It would take them about a month to get there but as far as he knew, Vegeta hadn't been given his latest mission yet so they still had a chance to get there before he did.

"So what planet is it that we're going to?" Bulma asked in a bored tone. She hated waiting, she absolutely loathed it and that was all she had been doing for the past three weeks and now, she would be doing it for a whole month. The thought made her groan. She would have to upgrade the ships or something just so that she wouldn't have to travel for so long.

She tried to take her mind off of waiting, but nothing seemed to work. At first, she trained with Kakarot, but she soon got bored of that because she only liked to fight when she was in the mood or when she had no other choice. Then she tried to work in the labs, it kept her busy for a while but then she grew tired of that too. Don't get her wrong, she loved working in the labs, but she just wasn't in the mood for that either. Bulma didn't really know what sort of mood she was in. She just felt bored all of the time and when she gets bored, she gets irritable.

"The planet Shinsei," Bardock replied whilst setting the coordinates, "I want you both to be extremely careful and never off guard. Frieza probably sent Prince Vegeta to the planet to test his strength. The inhabitants on Shinsei are all ridiculously powerful and there are thousands of them against a squadron of three."

"Then we have to hurry," Bulma said with a serious look on her face, "If he dies, then it's all over. We need him to defeat Frieza."

"I know," Bardock nodded before walking out of the ship, "If you do not locate the Prince within a week on the planet, return to headquarters."

"Okay," Kakarot agreed before sitting down at the control panel next Bulma.

The two teenagers strapped themselves in and it wasn't long until they were up in space. Kakarot left towards the kitchen as soon as they were in the clear to take off their safety belts. Bulma sighed. This was going to be a long trip.

O.o.O

She was right, as usual. It was a long trip and a very boring one at that. She wanted something exciting to do; she was so bored of doing the same thing over and over again. Bulma had been looking for Vegeta in space for so long that she couldn't even remember how long she had actually been looking. She wished he would just show his stupid face one day because she would gladly punch him.

Bulma sighed. She didn't even know the guy and he was already getting under her skin. For what seemed like almost her entire life she had been sent on missions across the Galaxy to try and find him and every single time they would come up with nothing but dead bodies and burning planets. How somebody could be so heartless as to send warriors to murder all those innocent and defenceless people just for money or to sell a planet was beyond her. She knew that this Vegeta guy had no choice but to do so but it still made her feel sick to her stomach with anger.

"Bulma," Kakarot called out to her for the third time, "are you ready?"

"Of course I am!" Bulma narrowed her eyes at him. It wasn't like her to just space out; she shrugged. It just showed how bored she was.

Kakarot smirked at the girl before walking towards the door and switching his scouter on. Bulma picked up her scouter from the control panel and copied him.

The ships doors slowly opened and the two teenagers prepared themselves for what they could possibly see. The first time they did this, neither of them was prepared for what they saw and Bulma almost lost her mind as well as the contents in her stomach.

Today was no different.

Even though they had both prepared themselves, it was like nothing they had ever seen before. On previous planets, the way the inhabitants looked made it seem as though they had been killed quickly and with mercy, but these people didn't. These people were ripped apart and thrown to different parts of their villages. There was no mercy or honour in the way these people died and it angered them both to no end.

"How the hell can this bastard be our _saviour?" _She said the word saviour with disgust. There had to be some sort of mistake. There was no way that this Prince Vegeta character could help them fight against Frieza. They just had to have got it all wrong.

Kakarot walked forward and pushed a button on his scouter to see if there was anybody still alive on the planet, "Remember what my father said? Vegeta's mind is becoming more and more unhinged and unstable by the day. He is unpredictable and dangerous."

Bulma rubbed her already aching temples. The smell of burning corpses and blood was starting to make her feel sick and light headed Bulma wasn't one to be weak and faint at the sight of blood, but when there was so much blood and torture and death. It reminded her of home and how they had left their race to die. It made her feel sick with herself and sick and disgusted with her parents.

"You just proved my point," She said it like it was obvious. It pretty much was really, he had just showed her even more reasons why to doubt that Vegeta is going to be their 'saviour'.

"You know what I mean," Kakarot rolled his eyes.

His scouter beeped, letting him know that there was still life somewhere on the planet.

"Follow me!" He yelled over his shoulder as he blasted off into the black smoke filled skies.

Bulma wasted no time in blasting off of the ground herself, she wanted to get off of this dead planet as soon as possible. She usually enjoyed flying, but when you were continuously coughing because of the black smoke and passing thousands of dead bodies that now looked like nothing more than just various body parts, it kind of took the fun out of it.

Within minutes, the two arrived to where Kakarot's scouter picked up a power level.

"Be careful," He warned Bulma, "It could be Vegeta and he might mistake us for Shinsei's."

Bulma looked at one of the many heads that were missing their bodies. It was covered in white fur and had fully black eyes. It looked like a massive polar bear, "Yeah Kakarot, I'm sure he'll confuse us with big, furry white creatures that-"

She didn't have time to finish her sentence before something slammed into her side, knocking her to the ground. Whatever had tackled her, followed suit and landed on top of the blue haired human. On the way to the ground, she let out a high pitched scream out of pure shock.

Kakarot's head snapped to the side at the sound of his friend's scream. It wasn't a Shinsei that was trying to kill her, it was…

"Raditz?" Kakarot said the name uncertainly as his whole body felt like it had frozen.

* * *

**A/N - Please tell me what you think of this so far! **

**REVIEW! :-) **


	3. Supposed To Be Dead

**Chapter 3 – Supposed To Be Dead**

"Raditz," Kakarot repeated in a stronger and more certain voice.

At the sound of his name, Raditz's head snapped up and he looked warily at the young teenager before him. He ignored the girl's punches and growls – that were turning him on more than harming him – and stared at the carbon copy of his father and uncle. It had been so long since he had seen any member of his family or any other Saiyan for that matter, other than Nappa or the Prince. But there was no doubt that he was a Saiyan, his tail and wild hair said it all.

"Raditz, get off of Bulma." Kakarot said in a warning tone. If he hadn't been so uncertain about his brother and his mind, he would have moved him off of his friend himself. But he _was _uncertain about his brother because Raditz had a crazed look in his eye that he just couldn't place.

The long haired Saiyan looked at his brother in confusion but was snapped out of his trance as a fist connected with his cheek, knocking him off of the girl.

Bulma stood up and lowered herself into a fighting stance. She had to admit, if you looked passed the fact she had almost pissed herself when somebody landed on top of her and tried to do whatever the hell it was that he had tried to do to her, it was pretty exciting. She hadn't had a decent battle in what seemed like a long time.

"Bulma," Kakarot said, "It's Raditz."

"Raditz?" Bulma said the name uncertainly before it clicked into her mind, "Raditz as in… your brother Raditz?"

"Yes."

"But what's he doing here? Is Vegeta here too?" Bulma straightened up out of her stance and gave the older Saiyan a once over. It was obvious that he was a Saiyan because of his tail but when you looked closer, you could see the resemblance to Kakarot and their father.

Raditz straightened up immediately at the sound of the Prince's name. The punch hadn't hurt him, not in the slightest but he was caught off guard by it. He didn't think the small woman had enough strength inside of her for _that_.

"That is _Prince _Vegeta to you." Raditz said automatically. He had grown used to having to put people in their place when they refused to show his Prince respect or even announce his name with his title.

Bulma rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. So where is he?"

"On his way back to Frieza's ship with Nappa," Raditz shrugged.

"They left you here?" Kakarot asked with shock on his face and in his voice.

How could their Prince just leave his brother here? After fifteen years of having Raditz there by his side out of loyalty. He didn't have to stay with the Prince; he went to Frieza's ship after their planet was destroyed because he knew the Prince would still be alive – he was too much of an asset for Frieza to just kill. Okay, so maybe he didn't have to stay with the Prince, but he didn't have to be as loyal and respectful towards him as he was.

"They had no other choice," Raditz said blankly and shrugged once again, "Frieza expected me to die during this mission and that was why he sent us here to this planet. Prince Vegeta had learned of Frieza's plan to kill off me and Nappa so he was truly all alone. The lizard wants Prince Vegeta to go completely insane so he will be easier to manipulate."

Kakarot frowned at his brother's words. What difference did it make whether his brother died on this planet or remained here utterly alone until the clean-up crew arrived? Either way, Frieza was getting what he wanted. Vegeta was one man down, he only had Nappa left! Well as far as he was concerned he did anyway.

"What do you mean by 'he will be easier to manipulate'?" Bulma asked.

Raditz's eyes flashed with anger and hatred, "The Prince is one of the strongest warriors in the Universe. Even now, his power is growing at a rapid pace. Frieza has been trying everything to slow it down – stop it even – but it only results in Prince Vegeta getting angry and violent."

"What happens when he gets angry?" Kakarot asked although he wasn't sure that he even wanted to know. He had heard of some of the terrible things that happened on Frieza's ship and he didn't like the sounds of any of them.

"He would lose his temper and attack. When he was eleven, he had managed to wipe out over a third of Frieza's army until Zarbon finally stepped in."

Bulma and Kakarot almost growled. They knew who Zarbon was. They had heard a lot of stories about the creep. Apparently, he looked like some sort of beautiful Angel but that would be before he transformed. When he transformed he was apparently some massive frog like creature with unbelievable strength and speed. He was the one who gave out punishments on Frieza's ship a long with Frieza's other right hand man, Dodoria. The two of them are like the sadistic children of evil with their father of evil being Frieza. Together, the three of them were exceptionally vicious and unforgiveable.

"What did Zarbon do to him?" Normally, Bulma would have gasped, but at a young age she had been taught to hide her emotions. If your enemies saw your feelings or emotions, they could use them against you. However sometimes, a few emotions slipped through.

Raditz growled, "Let's just say, Prince Vegeta had to spend six days in a regeneration tank."

She couldn't help it and neither could Kakarot. They both gasped and their eyes filled with anger and hatred for the man known as Zarbon. How could he injure an eleven year old child so badly that he had to stay in one of the regeneration tanks for six whole days? It really was disgusting but then again, everyone who willingly worked for such a repulsive tyrant was.

"What did he do to him?" Bulma asked angrily. She didn't know the Prince or even care for him for that matter but no child deserved something like that. Zarbon must have truly done a number on him because if someone spent longer than three days in a tank, it usually meant that they were dead and it was the tank alone that was keeping them alive.

"It is not my place to speak of the Prince's punishments." Raditz said. It sounded like he was speaking the words automatically.

Kakarot nodded, "He probably wouldn't appreciate us talking about what happened or still happens to him on the ship."

Bulma looked from her friend to his brother, "You're welcome to join us back to headquarters. I'm sure your father will be happy to see you."

She didn't like that she had failed yet another mission of finding the Prince, but at least they were one step closer now. This time, they would be arriving back to headquarters with Raditz. Surely he would know some information about Frieza's plans for the Prince.

"My father?" Raditz asked in disbelief, "He is supposed to be dead!"

Kakarot shook his head, "Who said that?" He had a good idea who said it, but he wanted to make sure first.

"Frieza," Raditz said the name with anger and hatred.

Bulma almost smiled, "No, your father is alive and so is your uncle Turles." Bulma spoke his name with disgust.

Kakarot chuckled at his friend whilst Raditz looked at her in confusion.

"Turles keeps trying to mate with Bulma; apparently age doesn't mean anything to him." Kakarot chuckled once again whilst his best friend visibly trembled with anger.

Raditz's eyes widened with shock, "But she isn't a Saiyan!"

Bulma glared at the older Saiyan, "So what? I'm just as strong as you are!"

"I doubt that," Raditz smirked. He could see why his uncle had taken an interest in the girl, she was definitely feisty and she had a decent right hook. She was a challenge.

"Guys, come on. We need to get back to tell my father." Kakarot said in an almost whiny voice. They had known Raditz for all of two minutes and already Bulma was ready to kick his ass. He couldn't exactly blame her though, he would hate for someone to insinuate that he was weak in any way.

Bulma looked at Kakarot with annoyance obvious on her face. Finally, she had found a new challenge to fight and here, they could go all out in the battle but no, Kakarot wanted to go back to the ship where they were only allowed to use hand to hand combat. She shrugged. He was probably just worried that she would kick his brother's ass.

She turned back to Raditz and narrowed her eyes at him, "This isn't over." She said in a serious voice before heading back towards the ship.

"I see why uncle Turles tried to sleep with her," Raditz chuckled to his younger brother. "She's hot and that feisty temper of hers makes her even hotter."

Kakarot rolled his eyes. Great, another member of his family who wanted to sleep with his best friend. Sure, he could see why they wanted to. She was attractive and was able to handle rough Saiyan sex due to the fact her power level was higher than the average humans, but she was his best friend. It was just plain weird that his uncle and now his brother wanted to sleep with her, especially after everything that had happened between them.

**FLASHBACK **

"_Ugh, Kakarot I hate your uncle so much more than words can even describe!" Bulma nearly yelled as she ran her fingers through her hair. _

_They had been in the middle of a video transmission when Turles had once again, hit on her. The first few times it had been somewhat flattering but now it was just annoying. He was over twice her age! _

_Kakarot chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. He didn't know exactly how she was feeling but he got the whole annoying part. It was more than annoying that Turles couldn't even go one conversation without hitting on her. _

"_Well you can't exactly blame him," Kakarot said with a nervous smile. _

_He wasn't very good at giving compliments. Mostly because Bulma was the only girl his age that he hung out with back at headquarters. Most people thought it would be best to keep out of the Saiyans' way. It was so stupid. They knew that he and his family weren't like that in fact, Kakarot had never been like that but yet they still kept their distance._

_Bulma smiled. It was the same story with her. The only guys who hit on her were the creepy older guys like Turles. Every other guy in the Rebellion Army stayed away from her because of her choice of friends. Nobody fully trusted the Saiyans besides the Briefs. She couldn't really blame them, they were a warrior race and they thirsted for battle. That and the fact stories of the Saiyan Prince's ruthless ways always made their way to the Rebellion Army. _

_The silence that settled between the two was awkward. Neither of them knew what to say since they were new at this kind of stuff. They were both sixteen and yet neither of them had ever done anything with the opposite sex. Of course they were curious, they were teenagers! But it never seemed like there was a right moment to try anything. They were always busy with meetings or missions or even training. _

_A lot of the people in the Rebellion Army thought that Kakarot and Bulma were together mostly because Kakarot was very protective of her, especially when it came to old men hitting on her but then again, so was Bardock. The amount of times Turles had been given a beating from his twin brother and nephew was almost impossible to count._

_Bulma's heart started to beat faster as Kakarot approached her and very slowly, he placed his hands on the sides of her face and kissed her. At first, she had no idea how to react but then she gave into her curiosity and temptation and kissed him back. A fiery feeling in the pit of her stomach started to swirl as she wrapped her arms around his neck. _

_She would be lying if she said that she never saw this coming or that she didn't want it to come. Like most teenagers, she was curious about boys and the wonders of intimacy. _

_Kakarot deepened the kiss as he pushed Bulma against the wall. She broke the kiss to catch her breath but Kakarot didn't stop kissing her. His soft mouth trailed from her lips down to her neck where he started to kiss her passionately._

_Somehow, Bulma managed to pull his spandex shirt off and her hands explored the firmness of his back, wandering down to the hem of his pants. Kakarot helped her remove the clothes that were nothing more than just in their way and her back arched in response._

_His warm hand ripped away her spandex jumpsuit and he could almost hear the anger she would hold for him later on when she realised it. He felt Bulma shiver with want when he pushed his body flush against hers. Softly reaching the underside of her breast, a shudder shot through his body and he moved her away from the wall and towards his bedroom._

_Neither of them remembered opening the door nor pulling the remainder of their clothes off as they made their way towards the bed. All they could think about was how right it felt. How the touch of the other brought great pleasure to their bodies. Neither of them wanted it to end. _

_Pushing her against the soft bed, Kakarot quickly followed and sought out her lips again. His gentle hands moved over her body slowly as though he was trying to memorise every inch of it. Bulma's hardened nipples pressed against his chest as he once again kissed her neck. Only this time, his kiss was hungry instead of gentle. Bulma felt a strong wave of heat hit her below the hips as one of Kakarot's strong hands trailed down from her shoulder over her hardened nipples and towards her swollen nub. He was surprised when Bulma's legs parted and bent upwards until they were almost wrapped around his waist. _

_The smell of Bulma's arousal filled the air and her hips bucked impatiently against Kakarot's. Giving her what she wanted, Kakarot slowly and gently slid himself inside of her. Her hold on his neck tightened as he filled her and he waited until she looked up at him to tell him it was okay to continue. _

_Pain was replaced by pleasure. Bulma moaned loudly as his long and slow thrusts became more passionate and loving. Her back arched and Kakarot placed one hand underneath her, gripping her tightly to his body as his other hand entwined with hers against the pillow. He leaned his head down and kissed her as his thrusts became harder. Bulma's moans grew louder and her breathing came in pants as her slender legs wrapped themselves tightly around his waist. _

_Kakarot felt a wave of pleasure hit him as her walls squeezed against him tightly. She was close and so was he. Bulma broke the deep kiss and buried her screams into the side of his neck; she was coming closer to her release. She could feel it and so could Kakarot. His thrusts came faster and more wildly as her hand gripped his tightly. Her legs tightened around him as his climax began to build up. His breathing increased ten-fold as Bulma's hips bucked wildly against his own. Kakarot's ragged breathing turned into desperate moans. _

_Bulma's free hand unclenched from his bed sheets and swung to his hair, pulling his head closer to her as she felt her release hit her like a tonne of bricks. She called out his name breathlessly, sending him over the edge and joining her. After a couple of slower, pleasure filled thrusts, Kakarot and Bulma collapsed against each other on the sweat soaked bed sheets. _

_Neither of them moved until their breathing came easier. So where did this leave them now? Were they together? Should they be? Perhaps the rumours were true and they were meant for each other. Only time will tell._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

And time did tell. Neither of them regretted giving each other their virginities or having their first time at everything with each other, but it just didn't work out. They were better off as friends, best friends. Now, Kakarot was with another human that the Rebellion Army had been able to save. Her name was Chi-Chi and they had a one year old son together called Gohan.

As far as Kakarot could tell, it was never awkward between Bulma and himself. Neither of them had any hard feelings towards the other and wouldn't change what happened between them for anything.

* * *

**A/N - I bet none of you saw _that_ coming, did you? Oh and please don't hate me for pairing her up with Goku/Kakarot in a VegetaxBulma fic because Vegeta will be coming into the fic soon! I'm trying to show you what her life is like before Vegeta and all the stuff she deals with. So far it isn't showing much but it does progress in a chapter or two. **

**Also, I may need a little help with this one. I originally planned it after watching a tv programme and I want to try and get a message out there, as goofy or nerdy as that sounds. This story does have a meaning to it.**

**Anyways, I'm not telling any of you what the message is supposed to be but you'll find out in a couple of chapters. If you find out sooner what I'm hinting at and think I'm over playing it a little or not doing enough, please message me and tell me. This is the part about needing help comes in. Haha, I'm not usually a person who asks for help but this is kind of a delicate subject and I don't want to accidentally insult anyone.**

**DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	4. You Can't Help Who You Fall In Love With

**Chapter 4 – You Can't Help Who You Fall In Love With**

Bulma didn't usually mind travelling. She liked seeing the stars shining bright and she liked looking at the many differently coloured planets. However, she hated travelling with Raditz. He was just as bad as his uncle Turles! It may sound big headed but even though she knew she was hot, after a week or two of sharing a ship, she thought that Raditz might have gotten over the fact she was attractive.

It was because of him that she stayed around Kakarot even more than usual. Don't get her wrong, she liked being around Kakarot it was just that she often got… _frustrated_. But could you really blame her? It must have been around three years since they gave each other their virginities and even though they were better off as friends, he was still a _very_ attractive man. She knew he was bonded mates with Chi-Chi now but it didn't change the fact that Bulma was still pushing away the urges to just throw him down on her bed and let him take her all over again.

That night had been perfect. He was so gentle and passionate with her and it made her legs feel like jelly just thinking about it. She was sure that she didn't have feelings for him, it was most likely just lust. That night definitely wasn't just lust though, it was something more but she just didn't know what. It wasn't love, she knew that for sure. She had seen the way Kakarot looked at Chi-Chi and although his eyes had held love for her that night, it was nothing compared to the look in his eyes when he looked at Chi-Chi. It almost made Bulma jealous, _almost_. Don't get her wrong, she's not a whore, but she would rather have hot, animal-like and no strings attached sex rather than gentle love making, it just seemed so exciting. It was just the thought of someone not being afraid to be rough with her that made her go weak at the knees.

Don't get her wrong though, she enjoyed that night with Kakarot and she would always cherish that night in her heart. He was her first time and she was his. He had been so gentle with her and each of his soft caresses had been filled with so much love and tenderness that it made her heart ache for more but she would not let that happen again. She would not let somebody have such control over her emotions ever again. Bulma was more than happy for him when he and Chi-Chi announced their engagement but when she went back to her rooms the realisation hit her hard. Her best friend, the man who she had given her virginity to, the man who she loved and would do anything for to make him happy was getting married.

It hurt her, it really did.

**FLASHBACK**

"_So what's the big news, huh?" Bulma asked._

_She was the last to walk into the meeting room – which was filled with all of Kakarot's family and friends – and after she jumped up and took a seat on the large meeting room's table, Kakarot cleared his throat and let a big goofy grin take place on his face._

"_The news is that Chi-Chi and I are going to get married." Kakarot said happily._

_Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly and for a second, she was sure that she could feel her heart and world shattering. For the first time since she had entered the room, Bulma noticed the small brunette girl clinging onto Kakarot's arm. She wasn't sure of what she was feeling, but she didn't like it. Bulma looked down at the ground as her eyes started to sting. What was happening to her? Why was she getting so upset? She furrowed her brows as she clenched her fists. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she finally looked up to see all eyes on her. What were they looking at her for? Where they expecting her to lose it? _

_Bulma pushed away her annoyance as she jumped off of the table and pulled Kakarot into a hug. "That's great!" She lied. "I'm so happy for you both."_

_She just hoped that nobody could hear the slight shake in her voice or notice that she was really concentrating hard on not crying. _

**END OF FLASHBACK**

She knew they were not meant for each other and that they were better off as best friends rather than lovers but there will always be a place in her heart for Kakarot, always.

"Bulma," Kakarot said her name for the fourth time. He, Bulma and Raditz were talking about Raditz joining them on their missions to find the Prince when she just spaced out. Neither of the boys thought anything of it until the smell of her arousal filled the air. When they finally looked at her, her expression was mixed with sadness and Kakarot immediately knew what she was thinking about.

He knew he had hurt her when he announced his and Chi-Chi's engagement a year after they had given themselves to each other. Nobody else could see the sadness and pain in her eyes, but he could. He felt bad for hurting her but he knew there was nothing he could do about it now. Chi-Chi was his destined mate; it was as though they were supposed to be together, it was like they were made for each other no matter how cheesy it sounded. However that didn't mean he regretted that night with Bulma. No, he cherished that night and he would never forget it. He had seen a completely different side of Bulma that no one had ever seen before. Her eyes had been filled with such love and content instead of their usual emptiness and anger.

But even if he could, he wouldn't change things. He loved Bulma but he loved Chi-Chi more and he hated himself for hurting Bulma in such a way. He had been the first person that she trusted with her heart and he broke it.

Bulma looked up to see the two brothers looking at her. Raditz looked like he was about to take her right there and then but Kakarot looked torn and apologetic.

"What?" She said snapped angrily after a few moments of their staring, "What are you both looking at?"

"You spaced out," Raditz smirked, "And whatever you were thinking about turned you on. Let me guess, you were thinking about me?"

Bulma groaned as she rolled her eyes, "Don't be ridiculous Raditz; of course I was not thinking about you."

She had to be more careful with her thoughts. She knew she caused Kakarot pain when he saw her unhappy. They were best friends, her pain was his pain and vice versa. It was never awkward between them, but there were moments when she just felt so alone when she saw him with his wife and son.

Bulma stood up and smiled sadly at Kakarot. "You can't help who you fall in love with," She shrugged half-heartedly before she walked out of the room.

Raditz looked at his brother and raised one eyebrow expectantly. He had clearly missed something. He was sure his brother had said he was mated to some weakling human and had a half breed brat but what went on with Bulma?

Kakarot looked at his brother and shook his head before following Bulma. He wasn't sure if it would do any good, but he had to try something to cheer her up. He hated seeing her sad or in pain and he just wanted to take it all away from her, ever since he had first met her he wanted to take care of her. She deserved to have everything and anything she ever wanted and yet he could see that she felt like she had nothing.

He knocked softly at her bedroom door and without waiting for an answer, he walked in. It wasn't like she had anything he had never seen before. When he entered the room, he found Bulma sat at her desk making new designs for even better space ships.

Planning and designing always took her mind off of everything. She had the looks of her mother, the intellect of her father and with help from Kakarot; she had strength no human could ever have possessed naturally without the rigorous training he made her go through. She was the full package yet she was still so alone.

"What do you want Kakarot?" Bulma sighed but didn't look up from her blueprints. She knew he would come looking for her. They had been putting off this conversation for too long. Every time he tried to talk to her about it, she would answer with an 'I'm happy for you' and hug him but somehow she knew he wouldn't let her get out of it so easily this time.

Kakarot closed the door behind him and stepped further into her room. For a girl, her bedroom sure was messy but Bulma had always said that she preferred it that way. "You know why Bulma," he also sighed and took a seat on the end of her bed, "We need to talk about what happened."

Her hand paused momentarily as she took a deep breath but after a couple of seconds, she started to write again. She hated showing emotion and she hated discussing her feelings. It made her feel so vulnerable and exposed. She would rather the Universe see her completely naked.

They had never really spoken about that night. The day after, everything had sort of gone back to normal: they trained together, they ate together and they went on missions together. The only thing that had changed was that Kakarot was _a lot_ more protective of Bulma and they were both more affectionate towards each other.

"There's nothing to talk about Kakarot," She said before adding in what was supposed to be a happier tone, "I'm happy for you."

"You're not happy though, are you B?" He said sadly, "I hurt you."

Bulma shook her head and dropped her pen. There was no point in even trying to plan anymore. It was like Kakarot was purposely bringing up emotions that he very well knew that she had tried to push to the back of her mind. It was true though, she wasn't happy. She was lonely and bored and just sick and tired of the way her life was. If she wasn't on mission she was training and if she wasn't training then she was in the labs with her father and Bardock or eating. It had been the same routine every day since she had arrived at headquarters and she was just so bored of it all.

"You didn't hurt me Kakarot," She whispered as she spun around to look at him, "You made me so happy. Happier than I have ever been in my entire life."

"I don't believe you," He whispered before speaking in a stronger voice and standing up, "I can see it in your eyes Bulma, you're anything but happy."

Bulma looked down at her hands when she felt her eyes starting to burn. She hated these sorts of cheesy chick flick moments. They either annoyed her because they made her talk and open up about how she was feeling or they made her feel so empty inside because she knew she had absolutely nothing.

She stood up and walked over to Kakarot and placed her hands on either side of his face to force him to look at her, "You didn't hurt me Kakarot. You have never hurt me. I wouldn't change what happened that night for anything. It's just… when I see you with Chi-Chi and Gohan, I'm- I'm _jealous_."

"Jealous?" Kakarot repeated the word in a confused tone. He never would have guessed that she was jealous.

Bulma nodded before sighing and dropping her hands to her sides, "I see the way you look at her and what I want more than anything is for someone to look at me that way. I want someone to love me like you love Chi-Chi. I want to know what it feels like to have someone love me like the way Chi-Chi is loved by you."

Kakarot pulled his best friend into a tight hug. He had no idea that she was feeling so alone and even though she tried to tell him otherwise, it made him hate himself all the more. He had made her feel that way. She had given him her heart in hopes that he would love her and he didn't. Instead, he bonded with another woman and every day Bulma had to face that. He was her first love and broke her heart and he would never forgive himself for that.

"I'm so sorry Bulma," He whispered as he felt her hot tears soak through his shirt, "I had no idea, I'm so sorry."

Bulma pushed him away like he had just burned her and wiped at her eyes. Why was it that he always managed to make her open up like that? That was the one and only thing that she disliked about him. He was always able to make her open up her heart even though her mind was telling her not to let him.

"It's not your fault!" She yelled at him. Why did he always have to go and blame himself? It wasn't his fault he had found his destined mate and it wasn't his fault that she had no one. "You can't help who you fall in love with so stop apologising. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"But it is my fault Bulma!" He yelled right back at her, "I broke your heart! I'm the one who is making you feel this way because I was too selfish to think about how what I did could hurt you!"

Bulma turned away from the angry Saiyan and headed towards her door, "I'm going for a shower." She said in a calm voice before picking up her toiletries bag and walking out of her room, leaving the angered Saiyan by himself.

He just couldn't leave it alone could he? No matter how many times she had told him she was fine, he just had to tell her that he knew she wasn't. She was perfectly fine with way things were but no, Kakarot just had to say that he knew different. He had a wife and a beautiful little boy, why couldn't he just be happy and leave her to get on with it and find her own happiness? Perhaps he knew she would never find any happiness of her own and that was why he was so angry with himself. Perhaps he knew that she would never have a husband or that she would never have a child of her own. Perhaps she was one of those genetic dead end types that she had read about back in the labs. Maybe that was why she had no husband or fiancée or even a boyfriend. It was probably because they knew she was a genetic dead end.

No. She couldn't be. She started her period at the age of fourteen and she was a very healthy and athletic nineteen year old girl. There was no reason as to why she should be some genetic dead end unless the Gods really did hate her… right?

**O.o.O**

When she got back to her bedroom, Kakarot was gone. She was both relieved and disappointed at the same time. Part of her had wanted him to leave the second she had left the room whereas the other part of her wanted him to stay until she got back.

She had never felt more alone in her entire life.

Lately, loneliness was all she had been feeling and she was just so tired of it. She was tired of feeling depressed, she was tired of having no excitement in her life, she was tired of being so alone and she was tired of how predictable her life had become.

But what could she do about it? Nothing, that's what! She couldn't just stop feeling depressed like it was something you could just switch on and off. She couldn't just force excitement back into her life like it was so easy to find. She couldn't go to the first man she sees and ask him to be with her and she couldn't change anything about how predictable her life was.

God she hated Frieza.

This was all his fault. If he hadn't of invaded Earth, she and her parents would still be there. They could be out in their beautiful back yard, laughing and just living how they were supposed to. They weren't supposed to be in space and Bulma most definitely was not supposed to be searching for some ruthless Prince who killed people without mercy or honour because his life wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

How could he be so selfish? Nobody was supposed to live a life like they do but they get on with it! They don't kill because they want to feel in control of something and they most certainly did not enjoy it when they did have to kill.

Bulma pulled on a pair of grey joggers and a black vest top before walking back out of her room. Lately, she hated her room. It just felt so empty and cold. Also, someone had to start dinner for those two Saiyans because they couldn't cook to save their lives.

One time she had asked Kakarot to help out and somehow he managed to burn everything. She only asked him to stir the pasta. Men were so useless! Maybe she should become a lesbian. She shook the thought from her head. It wasn't something you just chose and honestly, she just couldn't see herself being with another woman. Maybe she could become a nun? She shook her head again. No, even though she had only done it once, she enjoyed sex too much to give it up completely.

Maybe she should just take Raditz up on his offer. He was willing, he seemed to be around her age and he wasn't the worst looking guy. Actually, he was quite attractive. She shook her head again. God! When had she become so desperate for release that she would actually consider to sleep with Raditz? It would be too weird. She had slept with his younger brother! The entire time she would probably compare them or something. Well probably not the entire time if he was any good at pleasuring her, but afterwards she definitely would.

Bulma got the ingredients from the cupboard and started to prepare their food.

No, she would not sleep with Raditz. She had too much self-respect to do that. Also, she would probably look like a slut if she slept with Kakarot's brother.

What happened between them wasn't a secret, everyone knew about it. Well, not everyone just Bardock, Turles, Chi-Chi and her parents. Bardock and Turles only found out because they could smell her on Kakarot and her parents found out because Bulma told them. She didn't keep secrets from her parents and although they thought she should have waited until she was a little older so she could fully understand what love was, they still respected her decision. They liked Kakarot; he always had their daughter's best interest in his mind and he would do anything to protect her.

"What happened between you and my brother?" A voice said from behind Bulma, startling her.

Bulma dropped the onion but caught it before it could hit the ground. She yelled at herself in her head, she had to be more aware of her surroundings! If he was the enemy, she could have been dead by now all because she wasn't focusing on what was important! Why couldn't she focus?

"What's it to you?" Bulma snapped. It wasn't any of his business and she wished he would just leave it alone. She wished that everyone would leave it alone!

Raditz walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter so he could have a full view of her facial expressions, "He's my brother." He shrugged.

Bulma sighed and lifted her head to look at him. God he was tall. He looked as though he was nearly seven feet tall! "Then ask him about it because I'm not in the mood to talk right now."

"I tried to talk to him about it, he just told me to keep out of it."

"Well maybe you should listen to him."

"No," He said stubbornly, "I want to know what happened."

"Yeah well you don't always get what you want." Bulma said half to him and half to herself. It was true; you don't always get what you want. It was like a message for life or something. She wanted to be happy, she wanted excitement and she wanted someone to love her. But like she said, you don't always get what you want.

"Is it really that bad that you can't tell me?" Raditz smirked. He was going to find out one way or another. He hated being the only one not knowing something so he had made it his own personal mission to find out.

"No, it wasn't bad," Bulma said in a voice barely over a whisper before adding in a louder voice, "but I'm still not going to tell you about it."

"Why not?"

She threw down the half chopped up onion onto the counter and glared at him, "Because it has nothing to do with you!" Bulma yelled. Why did he want to know so badly? She didn't care that Kakarot was his brother; it didn't mean he had to know everything about him!

Raditz shrugged again, "It doesn't change the fact that I want to know."

"Well it's not going to be me who tells you."

"Why not?" Raditz almost yelled as he pushed off of the counter.

He was growing tired of this dead end conversation but he really wanted to know. When you have lived on Frieza's ship for fifteen years, you kind of have to know everything that happens. Right from who was most recently killed for doing something wrong right down to who was fucking who. It was just something you had to know so you didn't make any fatal mistakes. He had grown used to knowing everything and not knowing the littlest thing was pissing him off.

"Damn it Raditz," Bulma shouted at the Saiyan. She twirled around so he could see the deathly glare she was giving him, "Just leave it in the past! It doesn't matter what happened because it isn't going to be happening again, got it? It was a onetime thing!"

"Then it won't kill you if you told me what it was!" Raditz argued.

Bulma growled before yelling loudly, "We slept together, okay? He took my virginity and- and my _heart_" She said the word as though she was mocking herself,"And now he is with someone else! He got married and had a son whilst I have nothing and no one. Are you happy now? Are you happy that you know? Are you happy now that I look like a complete idiot? Of course you are because all of you damn Saiyans are the same! You won't stop until you get what you want!"

She took a deep breath to calm herself. She hadn't meant to say all of that but at the same time it felt good to have it all off of her chest. She hadn't realised how much it was weighing her down. Bulma looked up to see Raditz with wide eyes, frozen with shock.

His little brother… slept with _her_? Impossible... She was way out of his league! How could his little brother sleep with someone like her when he couldn't? Also, how could he let her go? She was a challenge both verbally and physically, she had the temper _and _the strength of a Saiyan female and not to mention that she was hot.

Bulma scoffed as she felt hot wetness fall down her cheeks. Great, now she was showing yet another weakness by crying.

She pushed passed the still frozen Saiyan and marched out of the room, only to collide into what felt like a solid wall. She knew better though. She knew it was Kakarot and he had most likely heard her entire speech but right now, she didn't care. In fact, she couldn't care less. Bulma looked up to see his hurt expression but she ignored him and stormed down the corridor and into her room.

No, she was not going to be sorry for saying the truth. Yes, he was her best friend and he had always looked out for her but it didn't mean she wasn't hurting. The truth was she was hurting a lot. He was her first time. The first she ever had sex with and the first she had ever opened up her heart to with the hope of being accepted and loved in return. He was the first boy she had ever loved and he married someone else! Of course she was hurting and of course she was fucking angry! It wouldn't be normal if she wasn't. Bulma knew he hated himself for hurting her but so he should! He had a family. He had a wife who loved him and a beautiful little boy who adored him and looked up to him. What did she have? Nothing and no one. It was only a year ago that she actually moved out of the apartment she shared with her parents. She wasn't angry with him because he was happy, she was angry with him because he wasn't happy with her and because it wasn't her who was making him happy.

She may say how she was happy for him and that things were better off with the way they were but she was lying. The truth was, she wasn't happy for him and she didn't think that things were better off the way they were. She wanted to be the one who made him happy and she wanted to be the one who carried his children. But most of all, she wanted to be the one he loved. Was that so much to ask? She scoffed. Apparently it was too much to ask.

Bulma groaned as she dropped herself face down onto her bed and placed her head in her folded arms. She needed something to take her mind off of Kakarot. Maybe she was only feeling this way because she doesn't really know anyone other than Kakarot and maybe if she did, it would remove him from her mind. She scoffed at the thought. Yeah, like that was ever going to happen.

It was times like these that she hated Chi-Chi. Don't get her wrong; Chi-Chi was a nice girl and everything. It's just that whenever she saw the two together, she was always belittling him or calling him stupid.

"That idiot doesn't even know how lucky she is," Bulma muttered angrily.

She really didn't. If she was the one who Kakarot bonded with, she would never make him feel like he was only a few inches tall and she wouldn't humiliate him by calling him horrible names in front of his family and friends. Well the names weren't too horrible but the whole 'stupid' thing was kind of a sore topic for him. If he hadn't of injured his head whilst on his way off of his home planet then he wouldn't be kind of slow but then again, he wouldn't be who he was today.

Once again, Bulma groaned when she heard a knock on her door and the door open two seconds later. She kept her head in her arms as she clenched her fists and didn't make any attempt to move or show that she knew they were there. Bulma heard someone sigh and then felt her bed sink a little at the bottom.

"I didn't realise it was a sore topic for you."

Bulma stopped breathing at the voice and her eyes widened. It wasn't who she expected it to be. She had assumed it would be Kakarot coming to 'fix' things and talk about their feelings again but it turned out to be the exact opposite. It was Raditz. She just prayed to whoever was listening that Raditz of all people wouldn't make her talk about her feelings.

"What do you want Raditz?" She mumbled into her arms before sighing and sitting up so she was kneeling beside him.

"You've got to get over it." Raditz shrugged, "He has a mate now, a bonded one."

Bulma frowned and looked down at her knees, "I know that," she whispered.

Raditz turned his head to look at the girl. He still couldn't believe it. His brother, his _little _brother had managed to get _her _into his bed. What the hell? "Then what's the problem?" He questioned. He genuinely had no idea what the big deal was. So what if she slept with Kakarot? She was acting like it was the biggest tragedy ever.

"I'm not talking about my feelings with _you_." Bulma spat.

Seriously, what the hell was with these guys? First one brother tries to talk about her feelings and then the other one pushes her far enough that she has some sort of emotional outburst or whatever the hell it was and then he comes to talk about her feelings too. She thought Saiyans were supposed to be some sort of emotionless, ruthless and bloodthirsty warrior race?

Raditz chuckled, "Like I would want to talk to some weakling about feelings. I was just saying it would be best if you got over it. It was only sex."

It was only sex.

It was only sex?! Who the hell did this guy think he was? Annoying her so badly that she ended up saying things that she would have never have said if it wasn't for him. What made it worse was that it had clearly upset her best friend and then he comes into her room and says 'it was only sex'?! She hated it. Ugh! She hated him! She _hated_ him! She _**hated**_ him!

"Get out," Bulma said in a freakishly calm voice. She had her eyes closed and her eyebrows knitted together. Her fists were visibly shaking from the anger she felt and her knuckles were turning white over the strain.

Raditz chuckled again. This girl was just so easy to anger! He didn't even know what he had said wrong this time but apparently whatever he said, she didn't like it. That much was obvious. Her jaw clenched and her facial expression became angrier.

Bulma opened her eyes and glared at the Saiyan who was still sat on her bed, "I said…GET OUT!" She screamed at him, her voice cracking and breaking under the pressure and loudness. If she wasn't so mad, no, no the right word was _livid,_ yeah. Anyway, if she hadn't of been seeing nothing but red, she definitely would have laughed at his expression. He looked like she had genuinely scared him. He winced at her loud voice and his eyes widened at the anger he could see in her eyes and the hatred she felt for him.

"What's going on?" Kakarot asked as he stepped into the room. He was about to go back to the training room when he heard Bulma shouting and when he felt Raditz in Bulma's room, he knew there would be trouble. He had never heard her sound so angry before. Not even when some old man hit on her did she ever sound so angry.

"Nothing. It was only sex, right Raditz?" Bulma snapped at the younger Saiyan without even taking her eyes off of Raditz, "Now both of you, get out."

Raditz stood up slowly. Even though he would never admit it, her glare scared him. Strangely enough, it felt like one of those 'don't make any sudden movements' moments. Bulma had the craziest and angriest look in her eyes that he had ever seen. It even put Prince Vegeta's glare to shame.

"Okay," Kakarot said in an unsure voice, "Come on Raditz, we should probably go train or something."

Bulma never took her eyes off of Raditz for a second as he followed Kakarot out of the room and he never turned his back on her. When her door shut, she waited for ten minutes before leaving her room and going to start dinner.

**O.o.O**

They ate in an uncomfortable silence. Neither Raditz nor Kakarot had an idea on what to say to Bulma. She was clearly still angry; she hadn't even bothered to make eye contact or even attempted to start a conversation. Usually, it was hard to shut her up but today it seems like they had finally got their wish. But why did it feel so… strange? It felt like the calm before the storm. The two Saiyans only knew it was dinner time because of the smell that filled the ship. There was no doubt that if they hadn't of come out of the training rooms when they smelt the food, they probably would have been eating their dinner when it was cold.

Kakarot still couldn't believe what Bulma had said. He thought they were best friends. She said that she was happy for him. She said that they were better off as friends yet she was acting like he was the bad guy! He just felt so confused about what to do. Things had been so much simpler before Raditz joined them. Don't get him wrong, the three and a half weeks of travelling with his brother had been great but he could tell that it was awkward for Bulma. She had rarely left his side. Well, until today she rarely left his side.

It hurt him to know that she angry with him. But what she had said earlier hurt him even more _"He took my virginity and my heart now he is with someone else! He got married and had a son whilst I have nothing and no one. Are you happy now? Are you happy that you know? Are you happy now that I look like a complete idiot? Of course you are because all of you damn Saiyans are the same! You won't stop until you get what you want!"_ Her words kept replaying in his mind. Was that really what she thought about him? Did she really think that he used her for sex? How could she think that she has no one?

Bulma knew that they had both agreed that they were much better off as friends but maybe she was wrong. Maybe they shouldn't be friends if it was going to be so hard on her. Every time she saw Kakarot and Chi-Chi together it felt like her heart was tearing into two and someone had plunged a knife straight into her stomach. She knew that Chi-Chi didn't like her either. Ever since she and Kakarot had bonded she had been uncomfortable with leaving him around Bulma alone. Bulma scoffed, catching the attention of the two Saiyans at the table. It was the first sound other than the scraping of cutlery against plates for a while. She ignored them. How dare Chi-Chi think she would stoop so low as to try and take him from her! Bulma stabbed her fork into the meat with more force than necessary. He was a married man and he had a son. She was no home wrecker! Urgh that girl made her so angry.

Raditz looked at his younger brother and raised a questioning eyebrow. He had been careful as to not cross Bulma's path after the incident in her bedroom. Honestly, she scared the crap out of him. Him, a twenty six year old Saiyan warrior scared of a human! It was pathetic to say the least. Kakarot shrugged at his brother and turned back to his food.

If Kakarot was completely honest, he was kind of angry at Bulma. She should have told him how she felt. But what good would that have done? She would still be feeling the way she does now.

Bulma stood up and took her empty plate over to the large dishwasher in the kitchen. Because of Kakarot's eating habits, they had one of the largest dishwashers in the Universe, built by none other than her of course. What else was there to do whilst travelling through space for months at a time? Besides training and eating there was nothing.

Sometimes she enjoyed just lounging around watching television and eating junk food but she hadn't done that in a while. In fact, it has to be well over a year since she last did that!

Instead of going to the training room for her after dinner training, she went into the kitchen to get some snacks and a couple of fizzy drinks. Even though she had only just finished eating a couple of moments ago, she felt like she could carry on eating. It was probably just boredom. It wouldn't exactly be the first time she had done this. Bulma was almost certain that when she was bored or due to start her period, she could eat at least three times her normal portions of food.

Bulma put her snacks and drinks onto the coffee table in the living room before heading to her room to grab a blanket. There was nothing better than relaxing, watching movies and eating junk food. She was starting to feel better just thinking about it!

She wasn't usually such a lazy girl but when you trained as hard as she did, or worked in the labs for as long as she did all while feeding two Saiyans and herself, she needed a break to just relax. She wasn't really asking for much now, was she? No, no she was not. She grabbed her favourite blue blanket, put on a pair of woolly socks and left to go back to the living room.

When she got back into the living room, she found Kakarot and Raditz taking in the low lights, the television and all of her snacks and drinks. She almost groaned in annoyance. Yes, yes she was asking for too much. Of course she was. When was she not?

"Oh hey Bulma, are we having a movie night? We haven't had one in a long time!" Kakarot smiled as he looked at the collection of DVDs.

The last time they had had a movie night together was well over a year ago when things were still normal between them or well, normal-ish. They usually cuddled on the sofa with her favourite blanket wrapped around them both whilst watching a horror and would end up falling asleep on the sofa. Kakarot smiled at the memory.

"What's a movie night?" Raditz questioned. He had never heard of a 'movie night' before. Perhaps it was some sort of gathering.

Bulma sighed and sat in the middle of the sofa, "A movie is a motion picture."

"Motion picture?" Raditz raised his eyebrow and looked at the screen.

"Yes, if you are both going to join me sit down, shut up and watch the movie." Bulma said as calmly as possible. She had been hoping for some time alone to relax and take her mind off of things but apparently that was not going to happen.

Bulma wrapped her blanket around her shoulders as she stood up and placed a disc into the DVD player. It was one of her favourite horror movies, 'The Exorcist'. For some strange reason, paranormal horror films scared her a whole lot more than the ordinary psycho killer ones. Perhaps it was just the thought of some invisible and usually undefeatable force being able to wipe out hundreds of people. She knew that it was more likely that she would be killed by some psycho killer – a psycho killer called Frieza or his army – more than a ghost or some sort of spirit but the paranormal films sent shivers down her spine.

She turned around to find the two Saiyans staring at her strangely again. She knew it was because of her behaviour and mood swings but she didn't care. Bulma rolled her eyes at their wary expressions and sat back down in the middle of the large sofa. The middle had always been her place, ever since she and Kakarot had first started travelling together.

Bulma looked from the screen to see the two Saiyans had still not moved. She sighed in annoyance, "Are you going to watch the film or are you both just going to stand there and stare at me?" She snapped.

Kakarot was the first to move as he scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously, "We're going to watch the movie! Just relax Bulma."

With that said, both Kakarot and Raditz sat on either side of the now very annoyed human. Kakarot knew what he had done wrong. He had said 'just relax'. When he and Bulma were seventeen, he told her to calm down after his uncle had hit on her again and she completely lost it. She yelled at him to never tell a girl to calm down and ended her rant by hitting him over the head and pretty hard if you asked him.

He couldn't help but feel slightly saddened since the day they picked Raditz up. Although he was more than happy to see his brother and to know that he was safe, his friendship with Bulma had changed drastically. There was no denying that Raditz's presence put strain on the two but if you told him that there would be this much tension, or this much strain and awkwardness between Bulma and himself, he would call you a liar and laugh in your face. They were best friends! Even though he was now mated with Chi-Chi and had a son, Bulma was still his best friend and even though it was wrong, she would always be his biggest priority. It's not that he didn't care about his family because he did. It was just that he had grown so close to Bulma, he had seen her in ways no one had ever seen her before, she completely opened up to him and they had always been there for each other. It wouldn't be fair if he just dropped her now that he had a family and it would be downright insulting to her. Of course he loved his family and he would die for them over and over again if he had to. But he would also die for Bulma. She was also his family. Maybe not in the same way as Chi-Chi, but she was definitely important to him and he would never allow any harm to come to her.

"Even on Frieza's space ship we didn't see anything like this!" Raditz said in amazement, "There were screens like this but never one of these movies."

Bulma didn't look away from the screen as she answered, "The movie is from Earth, my parents and I managed to save a few of our belongings and store them into capsules before we had to leave."

Raditz knew what she meant when she said 'had to leave'. Kakarot had filled him in on the place they were going to and how it was filled by people who had been forced to leave their homes or were the last of their races. Raditz also knew that it wasn't going to be easy when he arrived. He was probably the reason as to why certain people were there. If he was the Prince, he wouldn't care less. But as it happens he wasn't the Prince. Also, he wasn't as strong as the Prince – obviously – so if they decided to all attack him at once, he would most likely die. His power level was only higher than the human girl's by about three thousand. How humiliating. He was going to have to train harder because even his younger brother was stronger than him! Perhaps it wouldn't be as bad if it was only by a couple of thousand. But no, it was only by four hundred thousand! Even though that was tremendous power, especially for a third class, he was still no match for the Prince who was at least three hundred thousand times stronger than Kakarot.

He didn't really believe in power levels. All Raditz believed was that it was not always strength that wins a battle. For a while, he followed by Nappa and Prince Vegeta's way of battle; only the strongest survives. But after a while, he learned that if that was true, he would not still be alive. It was no secret that Vegeta had saved him more times than he could ever imagine. The Prince had received beatings after beatings, fought against large numbers of incredibly strong opponents and even dragged him to the tanks when a mission had gone wrong and he did it all for him. He was their Prince and it was in his blood to protect his people as it was his fathers. His father, King Vegeta, died defending his race.

Nobody understands what goes through the Prince's mind, not even Frieza. Despite all of his beatings, he doesn't cry out in pain, scream or beg for them to stop even once. Despite knowing the punishment for his actions, he still lashes out and kills as many of Frieza's men as he possibly can. It was well known that the Prince was unstable in his mind, but what wasn't known was that Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans was plotting. He was plotting to take Frieza down. He was going to get as strong as he possibly could and achieve the legendary. Then, he was going to avenge his race, his mother and father and kill the sadistic tyrant known as Frieza once and for all. It was only Raditz and Nappa who knew of Vegeta's plans. They were the only two Vegeta trusted. But now that Raditz had discovered his father, uncle and brother were still alive along with other apparently very strong warriors perhaps they could finally put Vegeta's plans to action.

"Haven't we already seen this movie before?" Kakarot groaned.

Bulma shrugged, "So what if we have, it's my favourite movie."

She didn't want to sound so cold or annoyed. But movie night just didn't feel the same without leaning in on her best friend, with her managing to make them both jump at the scary parts even though neither of them found them scary. She could tell Kakarot felt the same. She saw him sigh a little at her harsh reply and she couldn't help but feel bad.

He was her only friend, her best friend and yet she was pushing him away. Bulma surprised Kakarot by hesitatingly leaning against his side with her head resting on his shoulder but his surprise shortly turned into a smile. It wasn't romantic in anyway, it was just friendship. This was how it had always been between the two of them and she wasn't about to let some idiot change that. She saw Raditz raise a questioning eyebrow to his brother but she pretended to ignore him and watch her favourite movie with her best friend and his brother.

* * *

**A/N - Wow. This chapter is a lot longer than what I thought it was! I didn't even realise until now how much I wrote. I don't think that all chapters will be this long and it'll probably only be this one that is ridiculously long because of how much I put into this chapter.**

**Speaking of which... I know you're all probably thinking 'well that escalated quickly' and it's fine if you are, because so am I haha. But if you're a girl, you'll probably understand. Actually you don't even need to be a girl to understand. Just think about what being in love for the first time felt like and giving everything to that person you love only to find out that the feelings aren't returned. But saying that, I still think that it may be a little over the top but again, Bulma has always been quite a dramatic person and Goku has always been protective and cares a lot for his friends. I don't really know what sort of personality Raditz had so for all we know, he could be that extremely annoying older brother who just has to know everything. -.-**

**Also, I would just like to say something about a flame that I got on the last chapter from a guest. Kakarot and Bulma are NOT brother and sister. I may have said that they are like brother and sister but I didn't mean it in some creepy incest way! What I meant is that Bardock had helped raise Bulma and Mrs Briefs had helped raise Kakarot. The two are not related in any way.   
**

**Oh and for any of you that may know, is there any date set for the new Dragonball Z movie to be released in either English sub or dub? I'm dying to watch it! Apparently Vegeta dances haha! ;-)**

**Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing so far! **

**REVIEW! **


	5. Fighting Dirty

**Chapter 5 – Fighting Dirty**

"Bulma you need to train," Kakarot said firmly, "You haven't trained since we found Raditz and that was almost a month ago."

"I know Kakarot," Bulma sighed as she rubbed her temples. "I'm just not in the mood to spar."

"Well meditate then," Raditz shrugged as though it was obvious, "It's what I do when I'm either too tired or too weak to train my body."

Bulma thought it over for a moment. It wasn't that she felt like she was too weak or too tired she just couldn't be bothered. She felt emotionally drained. Hell, just picking at her breakfast was an effort. She knew it was dangerous to get this way especially with the way the Rebellion Army is constantly battling or moving but she just couldn't help it. She felt so empty and her body felt heavy.

"Yeah, can't I just meditate?"

Kakarot looked at her like he saw right through her, "Bulma I know you. You'll say you're going to meditate but end up having a bath or falling asleep."

Bulma groaned. He knew her too well, "I promise I will meditate this time."

"You say that every time." Kakarot said, "You're going to get sloppy and lazy. How are you going to protect yourself if you don't train?"

She didn't answer. Bulma knew he was right and that she should train but she just couldn't be bothered. She wanted to be a normal teenager. One who could just stay in bed all day long and watch movies and go shopping and not have to worry about being attacked by some fucked up tyrant.

"Can't I just train tomorrow?"

"We're landing back at headquarters tomorrow." Kakarot sighed, "My father, Turles and your parents won't be happy with me if I don't make you train Bulma."

"Why?" Raditz asked. He looked genuinely confused. Why would his father and uncle care about some human girl who didn't want to train? He could understand as to why her family may care but his family?

Kakarot turned his attention from Bulma to his brother, "When you're a part of the Rebellion Army you need to be constantly on guard. Sometimes there are traitors or spies that belong to Frieza and other times we are attacked. Where Bulma is from, she was considered to be one of the most important people on her planet. Sort of like Vegeta. She's an heiress therefore she needs extra protection and needs to be able to defend herself. If Frieza got his hands on her, it could be the end of all of us."

Bulma ignored Kakarot's speech and the way Raditz looked at her. She hated being reminded of what could have been or what should have been. For example if Frieza didn't exist she would still be on Earth living her life like a normal teenager and she wouldn't have to worry about people trying to kill her or use her to take control of the entire Universe.

"Why would it be the end of us all if Frieza got to her?"

"Because Bulma's intelligence goes unrivalled, she's smarter than our father and even her own. She surpassed them both when she turned eleven so just imagine how smart she is now."

Bulma sighed and finally gave up with trying to ignore them. "Will you both stop talking about me like I'm not here?" She snapped. "If it shuts you both up then fine, I'll go train."

She stood up out of her seat, emptied and then placed the plate into the dishwasher and walked back over to the two Saiyans.

"Well, who's training with me then?" She snapped again.

She hated the annoying looks they were giving her as though she were crazy. Well actually she was starting to think she was. One minute she couldn't be bothered to move but now she really wanted to spar just to show them she wasn't some weakling who needed to be protected. She could protect herself and she was going to prove that.

"Why don't I train with her?" Raditz offered before smirking, "I've got a feeling Kakarot that you've only taught her how to fight fair."

Kakarot looked unsure, "I did but I don't think-"

"Actually that sounds great!" Bulma said enthusiastically. It was true that Kakarot only ever taught her how to fight fair and even though so far it worked she knew for a fact there were much stronger fighters out there who only fought dirty. "It would be good to mix it up a little, don't you think?"

Her best friend frowned slightly before he nodded, "I guess it would."

Bulma grinned, "Don't expect me to take it easy on you Raditz. I'm easily going to kick your ass."

"Of course you are," Raditz said sarcastically before looking at what she was wearing, "You aren't seriously going to train in _that _are you?"

The human girl looked confused as she looked down at her outfit. She was wearing her old blue nightshirt with a pair of black shorts underneath. A pink blush found its way to her cheeks as she looked back up at the two Saiyans with a nervous smile.

"I guess not," She said awkwardly before speaking in a stronger voice, "Just give me five minutes to go find something else and_ then_ I'll kick your ass."

Kakarot rolled his eyes as his best friend left the room. Sometimes she was more Saiyan than he was. Well, when it came to enjoying beating people up she was anyway. He enjoyed fighting but he didn't like hurting people when he didn't have to. His uncle often called it a weakness but Kakarot ignored him. His father said that it could have been what went wrong with their race and why they were so easily annihilated. The need to battle that coursed through their veins caused them to go into the fight blind.

That was why he wasn't so sure about his best friend fighting dirty. She was pure, like an Angel and he didn't want anyone to corrupt her purity. It sounded strange, especially coming from a Saiyan who took her virginity and then married someone else whilst breaking her heart in the process, but he didn't want anyone to take away her purity and innocence. It was what made Bulma well, Bulma.

However if she ever found herself trapped and the only way out was to go through her enemy then fighting dirty would help her. Her enemy wouldn't expect that at all.

It didn't even take Bulma five minutes to find something to wear. She wore what she always wore whilst she trained or was on a mission, her black spandex jump suit with her white fingerless gloves and matching white boots. She pulled her long hair up into a messy bun and had an expression on her face that just screamed that she was ready to spar. Kakarot almost felt sorry for his brother. Not only did Kakarot teach Bulma how to fight, but his father and uncle also taught her how to go straight for the kill. He knew she wouldn't actually kill Raditz but he couldn't wait to see the look on his brother's face when he gets beaten by a girl, a human girl at that.

Raditz followed Bulma into the training room and Kakarot also followed. He wanted to see what Bulma may need to work on or what she could improve. She was a strong fighter and thanks to her small size she was fast too. She used mostly agility in her fights to tire out her opponent and then she would attack. She used quite a lot of Kakarot's moves and techniques but she also used a lot of her own. Kakarot also used one of hers. It was called the 'Kamehameha' and she learned it from her old teacher back on Earth. Kakarot had to admit, it was a pretty powerful attack and was extremely useful on the battlefield but in order to use it you had to be in complete control of your ki. If you were out in just one place you could blow an entire planet up depending on your power level.

Kakarot stood leaning against the wall as Bulma and Raditz took their fighting stances. His eyes never left Bulma for a second. Her fighting stance was perfect, just like he taught her. It kept every part of her body guarded so she could protect herself against any attack.

"Are you sure that you want to do this Raditz?" Bulma smirked, "It isn't too late to back down you know."

Raditz growled loudly at the taunt and Kakarot chuckled. She also knew how to wind up her opponents pretty well before every battle. It was quite amusing to watch Raditz get annoyed with her.

"Remember no ki blasts; we don't want the ship to blow up in the middle of space." Kakarot warned.

Both of the fighters nodded before flying towards each other. Raditz went straight for a punch to the face but at the same time Bulma fell to the ground to dodge his punch and used the speed she just built up to slide between his legs. She quickly turned and knocked Raditz's legs out from under him. Before he had the chance to get up, Bulma had him pinned under her body as she straddled his chest and held her hand over his face as though she was about to charge a ki blast.

Kakarot took in each of her movements and he didn't miss the look of shock on his older brother's face as he was knocked to the ground and pinned by Bulma. He couldn't find a single fault in any of her moves. She had dodged his attack perfectly and gone straight for the kill like she had been taught. Maybe she wasn't getting lazy or sloppy like he thought she was.

Bulma got up off of Raditz once she had made it clear that she had won. She was about to turn back around to face him but was knocked to the ground by a single punch off of the older Saiyan. She could tell he didn't put a lot of strength into his punch and she didn't like it. She wanted him to take her seriously.

Going along with Raditz's fighting style; she pretended to be in a great deal of pain as she gripped hold of her face and groaned. Once he was close enough and bent down to see if she was okay, Bulma gave him a quick smirk before kicking him between his legs. As he took a few steps back in complete disbelief and pain and gripped hold of his most private area, she quickly flipped herself up so she was upside down on her hands and then pushed off of the ground until she was standing and returned to her fighting stance.

If he was going to fight dirty, then so will she.

"You'll pay for that!" Raditz said breathlessly as he shook his head as though he could shake away the pain.

Suddenly Kakarot felt quite unsure about letting Bulma spar with his brother. Raditz had grown up fighting to survive ever since he was made to join Frieza's army and since he was still here it meant he won every one of his battles for survival. Perhaps letting his best friend fight with someone who may or may not be in control of their primal Saiyan thirst for battle and for victory wasn't such a good idea.

Raditz flew towards Bulma once again but also like before, she used her speed to dodge his punches. She managed to dodge each of them until he brought his knee to her stomach, making her double over in pain. Whilst she was doubled over, Raditz took the opportunity to attack again and brought both of his hands together and hit her in the middle of her back, causing her to go crashing to the ground.

He took a few steps back and waited for her to get back up, but she didn't. He turned around and looked at his younger brother who looked completely shocked and then back to where Bulma was lying.

Only she wasn't there.

Without any warning he felt two small arms lock themselves under his own arms and felt two slender legs wrap themselves around his waist from behind.

"Never take your eye off of your enemy." She whispered huskily into his ear.

Raditz tried to get her off but she was too small to reach. It didn't help that she was on his back and that he could barely move his arms either.

He felt himself slowly being lifted off of the ground and he was truly shocked by the strength of the human girl on his back.

Bulma's face scrunched up and she started to pant as she used to her ki to lift them both off of the ground. She had no idea what she was going to do and Raditz wasn't exactly light. In fact it was taking everything in her just lift him up.

After a couple of seconds of wavering in the air, all of her energy was gone and the two of them landed on the ground with a loud thud. Luckily enough, she landed on top of Raditz thanks to him being the heaviest out of the two of them and he landed right on his face. She tried to move but found herself without enough energy to even lift her arms up. However, after a few seconds she found out why she couldn't move her arms or legs, it was because they were still trapped under Raditz.

Pain exploded through her body as she realised the bones in her arms and legs were most likely snapped or even shattered. She cried out in pain as the fire she felt in her body multiplied.

Kakarot was immediately there trying to lift her up but she only screamed louder.

"Raditz get up!" Kakarot tried to wake his brother but nothing was working, he was knocked out cold thanks to the metal ground. It was the strongest metal in the Universe and he just had to land head first onto it.

"Get him off of me," Bulma begged as tears started to pour down her face. She had never felt pain like this before and she was freaking out from the feeling of not being able to move. Sure Bulma had been in battles and gotten pretty beaten up in them and in her training sessions with Kakarot but she had never had her bones shatter or even break before. She knew Saiyans were heavy but this was taking the piss.

"I'm going to have to lift him up. Do you think you could move your arms and legs out from under him if I do that?"

Bulma nodded, "Just hurry!" She cried out again. The pain was excruciating.

Kakarot gently lifted his brother's top half of his body up off of the ground with ease but Bulma didn't move her arms.

"Bulma, you need to move your arms."

"I can't," She whined. The pain had eased slightly in her arms now that there was no weight on them but they just hung limply towards the ground under Raditz's unconscious form. Also now that Raditz was leaning up slightly, there was more weight being put on her legs.

Kakarot used his shoulder to keep Raditz's top half off of the ground and used his hands to carefully lift Bulma's arms up. He could tell just by touching them that every bone in her arms was broken, even at the shoulder her arms had dislocated.

"This is gonna hurt a little," He warned as he lowered Raditz back down to the ground.

It did hurt.

It hurt a whole fucking lot.

In order to free her legs he had to pull them out from under Raditz. He had to literally pull on her body to free her legs since he couldn't lift Raditz up and untangle her legs. But she managed to keep quiet with the exception as a few whimpers of pain and a small scream.

Kakarot quickly pulled her close to his body and flew her towards the medical room. He gently laid her down on one of the beds and then left the room to go and get Raditz. When he returned and placed Raditz on the other bed, he was quick to set the regeneration tank to Bulma's settings. As he turned back to Bulma, he took in the appearance of her arms and legs, all of which were clearly dislocated thanks to the awkward position she landed in but thankfully there weren't too many broken bones in her legs. All in all it was nothing that the regeneration tank couldn't heal but it didn't mean that it was going to be painful. Kakarot was going to have to put her arms and legs back into place and reset her bones so that they don't set wrong.

God he wished his father or Dr Briefs was here.

"Just do it," Bulma said through clenched teeth. Being the intelligent girl she was, she knew what Kakarot would have to do and she knew it was going to be more than a little painful.

If she was put into the tank now and he didn't set her bones back into place then she could end up looking pretty disfigured and in a lot of pain, even though she couldn't imagine a pain worse than this.

Kakarot nodded and walked over to the operating desk where he would find all the equipment he needed. As soon as he made his way back over to the bed where Bulma was lying, he got hold of scissors and was about to cut through her jump suit when he thought of something.

"Are you wearing anything underneath your clothes?" He said with a pink blush gracing his features.

Bulma's heart almost stopped but it was completely necessary that she would have to have her jump suit taken off. How else was he going to reset the bones in her legs?

She nodded slowly before choking out a "Yes."

Kakarot nodded before his face became completely serious. He cut through her suit as though it was only paper and pulled it off of her body carefully so that he didn't move her arms or legs too much. As he finished pulling away the top half of her jump suit he could see purple bruises already forming across her sides and stomach. He took a quick look at his brother and almost groaned in annoyance.

"What?" Bulma said with fear in her eyes. She couldn't see Raditz but she could see Kakarot's face and the look on it scared her. He looked annoyed and worried.

"Raditz is wearing his armour."

Bulma almost rolled her eyes before it hit her. Raditz was wearing his armour. Armour made out of the strongest material in the world. She was just a human.

"Kakarot you need to hurry," Bulma said desperately, "If I do have broken ribs they could puncture my organs. If one punctures my heart then the tank can't do anything to fix it."

He already knew that. He knew the dangers of broken or cracked ribs or even splinters from cracked ribs. All of them are dangerous, especially to humans; their bodies don't recover as quickly as a Saiyan's does.

"Okay but you need to calm down," Kakarot warned, "Take deep breaths."

She did as she was told but as Kakarot went to her right arm she felt her resolve slipping and panic settle in. She didn't like pain, she absolutely hated it. A beating she could deal with but broken bones? No. Before she could think of anything else, a scream ripped out of her throat so loud that it woke Raditz up and made him go into a defensive stance. Bulma would have laughed at the Saiyan but the pain was too much. She had never had any broken bones or dislocated bones before and it didn't help that she wasn't calm.

Raditz was stood next to Kakarot as soon as he realised he wasn't in any danger. He couldn't understand what happened to get the human girl's body looking like it did but he knew it had something to do with him. "What happened?"

Somehow Kakarot managed to hear his brother over Bulma's screams. He was grateful that his brother was now awake as it meant more hands to set Bulma's bones back into place even quicker.

"When you both dropped from the air she landed on top of you but her arms and legs were trapped underneath you."

"So what happened to her chest?"

"It must have been when you both hit the ground. The impact of your armour on her chest must have been too much for her bones to handle."

Bulma almost growled at the two Saiyan brothers, "I'm not weak." She said, trying to sound intimidating between her screaming but it came out sounding more like a whisper.

Kakarot almost laughed. Of course she would be worrying about sounding weak. "Nobody is saying that."

"You were both thinking-" She was silenced but a quick intake of breath as another one of her bones was put back into place by Raditz. "Do you think you could give me a little warning next time?" She nearly yelled.

Raditz shrugged, "It is easier to keep you distracted so that you don't think about the pain as much."

She could understand the logic behind it but it still annoyed her. Well at least with Kakarot and Raditz talking to her she didn't think about what they had to do as much. Of course it still hurt like a bitch and there was the odd scream that made the Saiyans feel like their ears were bleeding but it didn't hurt as much as what it did now that she wasn't thinking about it.

When the two brothers were done setting her bones back into place, Kakarot lifted Bulma off of the bed, placed her into the tank and fixed the oxygen mask over her nose and mouth.

"You'll need to stay in here for at least two hours." Bulma nodded her understanding as Kakarot leaned away from her and stood back up. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

Did she? She had only ever been in the tank once and it freaked her out being trapped in a small space whilst floating in some sort of liquid, but she didn't want to seem like she couldn't handle it or that she was too weak. Kakarot could see the war she was having with herself in her eyes and smiled slightly at her.

"I promise I won't leave you." He whispered to her before closing the door and watched as the green liquid fill the tank and her eyes drifted closed.

O.o.O

She hated the regeneration tank. She hated being closed in small places. She hated that she had to keep her eyes closed otherwise the liquid would burn them if she kept them open for too long. She hated that she could do nothing but float and she hated that Kakarot hadn't taken his eyes off of her for a second.

Bulma knew that she practically begged him to stay with her eyes but she didn't know he would be staring at her the entire time. While she was floating in the green liquid she could literally feel her bones mending. It was a strange feeling, kind of like when you crack your knuckles or your toes. It felt good but it also felt bad.

To keep her mind off of the staring Saiyan sat across from her tank she thought about her spar with Raditz and what she needed to work on and improve. Well for starters, she definitely needed to build up her strength. Bulma couldn't even believe how weak she had gotten over the past couple of weeks. Sure she knew that she had no energy and that was probably what was making her so weak but she needed to push herself to be stronger, especially if they were still tracking Vegeta.

Raditz didn't say much about his Prince to her but she was sure he was telling Kakarot about him. She could always tell when she was being kept in the dark about something. Her mother said it was a woman's intuition but Bulma knew it wasn't. It was because Bulma was observant and noticed even the smallest of changes between people. All Raditz had actually said to her about him was that he was strong and was known to cause trouble for Frieza. When she asked what he meant by that he didn't reply.

It was no secret that Bulma despised killing, especially when it was innocent people who were being slaughtered. It was fair enough when it was kill or be killed. Don't get her wrong though, she still didn't like the thought of it being her who ended someone's life, no matter how evil they are.

Also, another thing Raditz had mentioned about his Prince was that if Vegeta did join the Rebellion Army, no one but him was to kill Frieza. Bulma was just grateful that she wouldn't have to fight Frieza. Hell, she didn't even want to be on the same planet as the creep.

Who collects people?

A creep, that's who collects people.

When Bulma turned eleven, she became the smartest person in the Universe. Her intelligence went – and still does go – unrivalled. Naturally, word travelled around and Frieza caught wind of it. The tyrant sent hundreds of his men to kidnap her so he could use her as one of his ultimate weapons. It didn't help that she was strong either. But thanks to Kakarot, Bardock, Turles and every other warrior in the Rebellion Army, Bulma remained guarded and safe. Bulma didn't think she needed to be guarded or protected but there were times when she realised that she wouldn't be able to do it alone.

A beeping noise dragged Bulma from her thoughts as she felt the liquid in the regeneration tank drain. As soon as the green liquid got to her shoulders, she removed the mask and took a deep breath but kept her eyes closed.

She hated the regeneration tank.

It was because of this that she never allowed herself to get so badly beaten up. The thought nearly made her laugh. She had basically broken her own arms, legs and ribs. Bulma knew she probably could have let go of Raditz at any second, but she didn't. Instead she held on tighter. She wanted to be able to feel the rush of falling. Truthfully, she kind of enjoyed it up until her bones shattered and her ribs broke.

Her health and energy had been restored but she still felt emotionally drained. She honestly didn't know what was wrong with her but for now she would push it to the back of her mind and focus on her missions.

The door swung open and the second it did, Bulma bolted out of the tank and took another deep breath.

"You still don't like the tank then?" Kakarot smirked.

"What's to like about being stuck in a small tank doing nothing but floating?" Bulma retorted after catching her breath.

Kakarot shrugged, "It gives you time to think."

"Yeah because that always works out fine doesn't it?" Bulma said sarcastically, before adding "Did you bring me any clothes?"

"Oh yeah, here" He said as he passed her, her favourite pair of joggers, a baggy jumper, socks and some clean underwear. "I need to go contact headquarters."

Before he had a chance to leave, Bulma grabbed hold of his wrist and turned him around but she kept her eyes on the floor, "Kakarot, I'm sorry about what I said."

Kakarot lifted her chin up with his finger and thumb so that she would look at him. "Bulma you have nothing to be sorry for."

"I do I made you out to be some sort of bad guy but you're not. I truly am happy for you, why wouldn't I be? You have a beautiful mate, an amazing son who one day is probably going to be smarter than me with the way Chi-Chi is making him study." They both chuckled at her statement, before Bulma added more seriously "I'm just jealous because I want all the things you have."

He smiled sadly at her and pulled her into a tight hug. He had missed her being honest with him, even when it was brutal to others. That's what he liked about her, she never cared about what people had to say and she always spoke her mind even if she sounded crazy.

"You will have that one day," He said softly once he felt her arms hesitantly wrap around his waist, "I promise."

Bulma swallowed a hard lump she could feel rising in her throat. Crying was the last thing she wanted to do right now yet Kakarot's words always made her feel like crying.

Before she completely lost her resolve, Bulma pulled out of the hug and smiled up at him. Kakarot took the hint and left the room to leave her to wash off the liquid, get changed and to be with her thoughts.

She hated when she was trying to tell him something and even though he didn't do it purposely, his words or actions always make her feel like crying. Bulma removed the underwear she wore whilst she was in the regeneration tank and threw them into the laundry basket before jumping into the small shower in the corner of the room. After washing away the remaining liquid, Bulma got dressed and left the medical room to go and look for Raditz. She needed to spar again so that she didn't get lazy. What happened earlier that day was stupid and reckless and she needed to make sure nothing like that happened again. Sure, it managed to knock her opponent out but that was only because of the type of metal that the floor was made out of. She knew for a fact that had it been a normal ground and had it been anyone stronger, it would have no effect whatsoever and she would be the only one who would get injured.

So for now, she would push her problems away and train.

When Bulma didn't find Raditz in the training room, she frowned and concentrated on his ki. Once she found that he was in the kitchen, stuffing his face no doubt, Bulma headed towards the kitchen to demand a rematch.

"No." Raditz said as soon as she stepped into the kitchen.

Bulma frowned and looked around herself to see if Kakarot happened to be in the room. When she saw it was only the two of them, she glared at Raditz.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Bulma snapped.

"Kakarot told me you're not allowed to train for another day or two." Raditz shrugged as he took a bite out of his sandwich, "Something about your bones not being as strong as ours or some shit like that."

"Well what the hell am I supposed to do now?" She said as lifted both of her arms and slapped her sides to show her frustration.

"I can think of quite a few things we could do." Raditz said as he lifted one of his eyebrows suggestively.

"Why would I do something that would only bring pleasure to you?" She rolled her eyes as she grabbed a drink out of the fridge.

Raditz chuckled, "It was only a suggestion and it wasn't like I was asking you to be my mate." He shrugged casually, "Just sex."

Bulma couldn't believe she was actually considering Raditz's 'suggestion'.

Wait.

Why _was_ she considering sleeping with a guy she barely even knew? Oh yeah, now she remembered. She had said not too long ago that she wanted hot, wild, no strings attached sex. But could she really sleep with Raditz? He was Raditz, Kakarot's older brother! It would be wrong on so many levels. Yet there was a part of her that was begging for her to accept his offer. Bulma wasn't sure if it was just because it had been a while since she had sex or something else. It felt like her mind going at a hundred miles an hour ahead of her body. She just felt so out of sync. All she was sure of was that she wanted to live on the wild side, do things that she wouldn't usually do, have fun for once in her life! She was still just a teenager for crying out loud!

"Maybe later," She smiled seductively as she left Raditz once again, standing frozen in place with shock in the kitchen.

She felt a flutter of butterflies in her stomach as she said the words. It had been so long since she felt _those_ kinds of butterflies, three years in fact.

Actually the butterflies felt more like a warm sensation in the pit of her stomach. Well it had been over three years since she had any sort of sexual release, so could you really blame her for getting turned on by Raditz? It wasn't like he was unattractive. In fact now that she thought about it, he was really attractive and he definitely seemed capable of showing a girl a good time...

'_Maybe I should take him up on his offer…' _She thought to herself as her arousal grew.

Bulma knew she wouldn't be able to do it on the ship. It would be way too disrespectful to Kakarot but then again, it added to the thrill. She felt her mind racing further ahead of her body once again.

Maybe she was having a _very _early mid-life crisis? It certainly would explain the need she was feeling for excitement, for thrill, for _fun._ She couldn't actually remember the last time she had had any type of fun. It suddenly felt like nothing else mattered to her. For the first time in her life, she was going to put her own needs before anyone else's.

She deserved to have a bit of fun… right?

* * *

**A/N - Another pretty long chapter... **

**So Bulma is starting to show the signs of what is wrong with her. Can any of you guess what it is? I got told that she needed to have a physical trauma to 'jump start'. I don't know whether that's true or not and I still don't. No matter how much I researched her condition or asked people about it, I still don't know that much. ****To be honest, I feel like I'm writing about a really touchy subject so if any of you think I'm overdoing it or making it seem unreal, please tell me because I'm just going off of what I've been told or what I've found on the Internet. I have no experience when it comes to these kinds of things because I'm not really a people person.**

**The next couple of chapters are going to be a little crazy as Bulma's condition gets worse and Vegeta won't be making any appearances until then because I want you all to see what Bulma's life is like without him so then you can see the comparison for when he does arrive and starts to kick ass.**

**Anywho, hope you all enjoyed it! I wasn't too keen on the whole Bulma getting herself injured in some stupid training accident, but yeah like I said, I was told that she needed a physical trauma and what's more traumatic than having your bones broken? Well, there are a couple things more traumatic than that but you all get the point.**

**Oh and quick question, do any of you know why cats twitch in their sleep? I know it's completely random, but I've been sat here for about ten minutes watching my cat twitch in his sleep. **

**REVIEW!**


	6. Finally Cracked?

**Chapter 6 – Finally Cracked?**

Bulma pulled on a pair of white short shorts and a plain black vest top.

"God why is so hot in here?" She all but yelled as she slammed her finger down on the air conditioning switch.

She had felt like this since yesterday after she had come out of the tank. It was like her body was burning up and her mind was going so fast it made her feel dizzy. She knew she should eat something but she felt like she couldn't. It was like just the thought of putting food in her mouth was enough to make her feel sick.

Bulma stared at herself in the mirror as she finished her makeup and hair and lowered her top to show more cleavage. Her stunning blue eye colour stood out even more when she wore eyeliner and mascara. Her eyelashes looked so much longer and a hell of a lot thicker.

She definitely looked different. Even when she was going through her rebellious teenage stage she never wore makeup or such revealing outfits. Sure, it looked like one of her casual outfits but it was the way she held herself.

It was time for a change. She was so sick of being the usual, tough tomboy Bulma. She wanted to be the girl that everyone wanted. More than anything, she just wanted to _feel_ wanted.

Before leaving to go make breakfast, Bulma ran her hand through her loose curls that trailed down to her waist and smiled at her reflection.

Both Raditz and Kakarot noticed the difference in Bulma. She was actually making an effort in her appearance for once. Normally Bulma didn't bother to do her hair or makeup but she still looked just as beautiful as when she did.

"Bulma did you change the temperature of the ship?" Kakarot asked as her watched her carefully. There was something different in her eyes but he just couldn't place what it was.

"Yeah, it's too hot in here." She shrugged casually as she pushed the food around on her plate.

"But it was the same temperature it's always been. Hell, you said yourself that it was set for your body temperature!" Raditz argued. Even he had to admit that it was cold on the ship. Usually it felt just right but right now it felt like being back on Frieza's ship.

Bulma shrugged again, but this time she had a hardened look in her eyes. "Yeah well, I'm hot."

"Are you ill?" Kakarot asked as he continued to watch her. He could tell that she was telling the truth, her chest was covered in a thin sheet of sweat and she kept rubbing the back of her neck which showed her discomfort.

"I'm fine!" She snapped at the Saiyan as she stood up and dumped her untouched food into the bin. "I'm just hot!"

Kakarot raised a brow at the girl. Even when she wasn't hungry, she ate all of her food and during the entire time he had travelled with Bulma, she never once changed the temperature on the ship. He shook the thoughts from his head. If she said she's not ill then she's not ill, but just in case, he'll tell his father later when they land back at headquarters.

She didn't like the look Kakarot was giving her. It sent off warning bells in her head. He looked like he was planning something. Was he planning on doing something to her? Was he going to attack her when she was least expecting it? Ha. She'll show him. He thinks she doesn't know what his game is, but she did. Oh, she knew.

When Bulma left the room, Raditz looked at Kakarot to see if he too noticed the difference. Hell, Raditz had only known her for about a month and even he was noticing the difference in Bulma. He could see the worry and concern on his brother's face and he too, found himself worried for the girl.

Bulma walked down the hallway and was careful not to step on any lines or cracks in the tiles.

As she reached the bathroom and locked the door, Bulma looked at herself in the mirror and as soon as she did, a wave of worthlessness and self-doubt hit her like a tonne of bricks. She could hear the voices in her head telling her that she was alone for a reason. They were telling her that she was disgusting, worthless, pathetic and annoying.

"Maybe that's why Kakarot doesn't want to be with me." Bulma whispered to herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

She shook her head. Of course that wasn't why she was alone! She was alone because no one was good enough for her. She wasn't pathetic or worthless or any of the other things her head was telling her. The only reason Kakarot wasn't with her was because of that bitch Chi-Chi. Maybe they were both planning to attack her together. Maybe Chi-Chi had somehow managed to convince Kakarot to turn on her. Bulma never did like the other human girl.

Bulma glared at her reflection. What the hell was going on with her? It felt like her mind was all over the place! Bulma made a fist, looked at herself one last time and then smashed the mirror. She didn't want to look at her reflection any longer.

A knock on the bathroom door brought her from her thoughts.

"What?" Bulma called out.

"Are you alright in there Bulma?" Kakarot asked through the door.

Bulma sighed as she all but ripped the door from the hinges. She raised one perfect eyebrow at the man standing in front of her. "What do you mean 'am I alright'? Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"

Kakarot narrowed his eyes as he stared into Bulma's blue eyes. There was something not right with them but before he could say or do anything, Bulma moved her head so that her lips were next to his ear.

"You know Kakarot," She whispered huskily, making Kakarot involuntary shiver at how she said his name. "I wouldn't stand so close to a girl who is so… _sexually_ frustrated. You're a pretty good looking guy and after everything we've been through, well, you know." She smirked.

He pulled away like she had just burned him. Kakarot was silent as he stared into Bulma's eyes. Surely she was just kidding and didn't mean anything by that? Bulma knew that he was with Chi-Chi! Hell, he was bonded to her. Why was Bulma acting this way? Why was she making things worse than what they already were?

"Come on Kakarot, you know I'm only joking." She smiled.

Somehow, to Kakarot, her smile didn't look right. It didn't look as genuine as it usually did. In fact, it looked forced – like it was taking a lot of effort to put it there.

Bulma rolled her eyes, "Fine then. I'll go talk to a guy who knows how to have a bit of fun. Maybe Raditz will want to have a good time with me."

As Bulma went to walk passed Kakarot, he caught her wrist and quickly spun her so that she was looking at him again. He didn't like the way she was acting. It was completely different. It was like she wasn't even Bulma anymore. He glared at her. Who was this imposter and what had she done to Bulma?

"What are you doing?" Bulma snapped, "Let go of me!"

He did as she asked and once he let go, Bulma held her wrist and rubbed it slightly. He didn't even know that he had held it so tightly but sure enough, there was already a bruise forming on her wrist. Kakarot frowned. He didn't mean to put so much pressure on her wrist.

Bulma glared at Kakarot before storming down the hallways and towards the living room. She knew he was planning something and she always knew that he wanted to hurt her. Why did he want to hurt her? At one point he said he loved her, was it all a lie? Was it just a lie to get her to sleep with him or so that she would trust him? Bulma took a glance at her surroundings. Maybe that was his plan all along. Get her to trust him and then hurt her in the worst way imaginable.

Well she was going to show him that no one fucked with Bulma Briefs.

O.o.O

Bulma bounced around impatiently in her seat as Kakarot steered the ship into the docking station of headquarters. Before they had even stopped properly Bulma had all but ripped off her safety belts and was waiting by the door. When it didn't open she rolled her eyes and looked towards Kakarot and Raditz, who were both just sat there staring at her.

"Well open the damn door then!" Bulma snapped at Kakarot. She was still mad at him for earlier and wasn't planning on letting the fact that he had not only rejected her, but also hurt her go anytime soon.

"Alright, sheesh Bulma, you've never been this excited to arrive back at headquarters before." Kakarot said defensively as he rolled his eyes and opened the door.

Once the door had fully opened, Bulma was greeted by the smiling faces of her parents, Bardock and Turles. Well, Bardock looked like he was more anxious to see Raditz – who was now stood quite closely behind Bulma – and Turles was smirking. At the front of the welcoming committee was Chi-Chi, who didn't look very happy to see Bulma. Bulma smirked at the girl as she stepped off of the ramp. She could practically smell the tension, hatred and trouble in the air.

"You disgusting whore!" Chi-Chi yelled at Bulma and everyone fell silent and froze in their places as she charged forward to slap her.

The slap was never delivered though as Bulma caught Chi-Chi's wrist with a look of annoyance on her face. Bulma yanked on the girl's wrist so that there was less than an inch between the tips of their noses.

"If you don't mind," Bulma said threateningly as she tightened her grip on Chi-Chi's wrist, making the younger girl yelp. "I would rather not have to beat up a pathetic little housewife when I've only been back for what, not even a whole minute." Bulma finished by letting go of Chi-Chi's wrist with such force that the girl fell back a few steps.

"Bulma honey," Mrs Briefs said with her ever present smile on her face and as though she hadn't just witnessed anything. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah mom, I'm fine." Bulma returned her mother's smile with one of her own dazzling smiles. "Some people just don't know their place." She said as she gave Chi-Chi, who was now nuzzling into Kakarot's chest, a dirty look.

Turles was still smirking. When he had seen Chi-Chi looking pissed off he knew it was because of Bulma. It wasn't a secret that Chi-Chi didn't like Bulma. Perhaps there would be some fun today after all.

"_I_ don't know _my_ place?" Chi-Chi laughed humourlessly, "Why don't you tell them what you said to Kakarot not too long ago?"

Everyone looked at Bulma expectantly and her smirk grew in response.

"What you mean when I said something about what happened between us?" Bulma smirked again when she saw Chi-Chi's glare harden, "You don't like that do you? You don't like the thought of your husband well, your _bonded mate_, giving his virginity to me and not even regretting it."

"Shut up." Chi-Chi growled.

"You're jealous aren't you?" Bulma said as she took a step forward and put her hands on her hips. Her smirk never faltered for a second. "You don't like it when I'm near him because it makes you think we might do it again."

"I said shut up!" Chi-Chi snapped.

"Why? Does the thought of Kakarot fucking me upset you? Am I making you angry? Good because you piss me off all of the fucking time!" Bulma yelled right back into Chi-Chi's face, ignoring the looks of pure shock and surprise on everyone's faces. "You constantly belittle Kakarot and make him out like he's no more than an inch tall. He deserves better than a pathetic little weakling like you. Hell, I bet he even has to hold back whilst he's having sex with you. God I bet that's _very _unsatisfying for him."

"That's enough Bulma." Kakarot said with a serious look on his face.

"Shut up Kakarot." Bulma snapped, "I'm so sick of you both! You're always trying to hurt me!"

"What?" Bardock gasped as he looked between his son and the girl he looked to as a daughter.

Why was she saying such things? In all the time Bardock had known her she had never openly insulted anyone or purposely tried to upset them. Okay well maybe she did always do that but she had never done that to Chi-Chi, mostly because she wouldn't want to upset Kakarot.

"What are you talking about Bulma?" Kakarot frowned, "I would never hurt you."

"Oh yeah? Well what about this morning, huh?" Bulma yelled as she held up her wrist. "Don't think I don't know what you two are up to. You are both out to get me. If it isn't you using me for sex than it's her rubbing it in my face that I'll never have someone who cares for me!" She screamed at the two mates.

"What the hell is going on?" Turles asked looking completely lost and confused.

Raditz shrugged, "It's been like this since I joined them but it wasn't this bad until this morning."

"Bulma come on dear," Mrs Briefs smiled as she pulled her daughter into a hug, "You're probably just tired. Let's go get you something to eat and then you can go take a nap."

Bulma pulled out of the hug. "I'm fine! Why are you all saying that I'm not fine? I'm fine! I'm not sick, I'm not tired and I'm not hungry. I. Am. _Fine_. What is so hard to understand about that?" She snapped.

Bardock walked over to Bulma and stared into her eyes, "How are you feeling?"

"What do you mean 'how am I feeling'?" Bulma snapped again as she clenched her fists, "I just said that I'm feeling fine! I just want a bit of fun, is that so much to ask? I'm tired of the same shit every day. I'm tired of travelling across the Universe looking for some Prince who would probably kill me the second he saw me. I'm tired of training all the God damn time and I'm tired of people asking me how I'm feeling!"

Mrs Briefs frowned at her daughter's behaviour. Sure, she knew Bulma had a bit of a temper but she had never seen her act so disrespectful before. Mrs Briefs could tell there was something wrong with her daughter, but what? This wasn't the way she and her husband had raised Bulma and as she looked up to her husband, she could tell he was thinking the same as her.

Bardock sighed and rubbed his aching temples, "Bulma you said you wanted to help."

"Yeah well maybe I don't want to anymore."

"Why not, dear?" Mrs Briefs frowned again.

"Because maybe I'm tired of wasting my life away on some space ship with _him_!" She screamed as she pointed at Kakarot. "None of you guys know how hard it is for me! None of you understand how I'm feeling."

"Then tell us." Dr Briefs said encouragingly.

"You never listen!" She yelled so loudly that her voice cracked under the strain. "Not one of you actually care about how I'm feeling."

"What are you talking about sweetie, of course we do!" Mrs Briefs said as tears came to her eyes.

She hated knowing that Bulma was unhappy and she hated knowing that there was nothing she could do to make her happy. Mrs Briefs knew that her daughter didn't exactly have it easy but she never really thought it would be this bad. She felt her husband wrap an arm around her shoulders as a way to comfort her.

"No you don't!" Bulma yelled as tears of her own started to show. "All you care about is finding Vegeta. For all you know he could loyal to Frieza by now!"

Raditz glared at the girl, "You have no fucking idea what Prince Vegeta goes through!" He yelled, "There isn't one act of torture that he hasn't received from Frieza or Zarbon or even Dodoria! Frieza has taken everything from him and constantly belittles him or tries to break down his pride. He even calls him his own 'pet monkey'." Raditz ignored the growls that erupted from his father and Turles, "The Prince has saved my life more times than I can count. When I fuck up, he takes the blame and receives the beatings that would kill me ten times over. So don't ever insult Prince Vegeta in front of me. In fact, don't insult him at all."

With that, Raditz stormed out of the docking station with Turles right on his heels. They weren't too sure if it was safe for Raditz to be travelling through headquarters by himself because of all the things he had done, so he was to be with somebody at all times.

"I hope you're happy." Chi-Chi glared at Bulma. "Maybe that's why you're so alone Bulma, because you're a bitch."

Bulma's eyes widened as she gasped at the insult. It wasn't being called a bitch that hurt her, it was fact that Chi-Chi had dared to bring up the fact that Bulma had no one and the fact that Chi-Chi could listen in on her and Kakarot's conversations because of her bond with him. Bulma clenched her fists at her sides before she charged towards Chi-Chi. But before she could land a single punch to the now completely shocked and frozen in place girl, she was stopped by Kakarot.

"Get out of my way!" Bulma yelled as she punched Kakarot in the chest. "It's your fault I'm like this!"

As she continued to yell and punch Kakarot, tears started to well up in her eyes before they eventually started to pour down her cheeks. Kakarot didn't even try to dodge or block a single punch she threw at him. He let them all hit him. If it was her way of getting her pain and frustration out, then he would let her beat him to within an inch of his life for all he cared.

"If it wasn't for you sleeping with me, making me believe that you love me or even cared for me and then marrying some other girl, I wouldn't be like this!" She never gave up her punching for a second; they simply got more powerful as her anger grew. "I hate you!" She screamed as she threw an even harder punch at Kakarot.

"You're happy. You have a wife and a son. You have a life. What do I have?" She stopped punching him and looked up with blurred vision to see that Kakarot was close to crying, whether it was from her outburst or from the pain, she wasn't sure. "I have nothing. I have no one to love me or tell me I'm beautiful. I have no one to hold me when I'm feeling sad or alone. I have no one to tell me that things will get better, even if they won't. I have no one."

Kakarot pulled Bulma into a tight hug and she grabbed fistfuls of his spandex suit as sob after sob wracked through her body. She had never cried like this before, but it felt good. It felt better to let it all out. She had been bottling it up for so long that she didn't even realise she was turning bitter with envy. Kakarot frowned at how hot she felt but decided against saying anything.

Mrs Briefs had to be taken from the room by her husband as Bulma's sobs made her sob too. Chi-Chi stood there in shock as the man who was supposed to be her mate comforted another woman. She didn't care that Bulma was feeling alone, Kakarot was _her_ husband, not Bulma's. Bardock stared at Bulma incredulously as she cried into his son's chest whilst his son also shed a few tears.

He just couldn't believe that Bulma had been feeling so low. What with the way she was nearly always smiling, teasing and just genuinely looking happy he would never have guessed that she was so unhappy. Bardock found himself feeling guilty. He had put so much pressure on her to find Prince Vegeta that he never really realised that she might have wanted to grow up like a normal teenager.

They didn't move for hours. The only time they did move was when Bulma's legs grew too weak to stand so they both sat on the floor where Kakarot held her head into his chest as she continued to cry. Chi-Chi left the room after ten minutes of their crying and Bardock left to give them some privacy around the same time as Chi-Chi.

When Bulma finally stopped crying, she pulled her head away from Kakarot's now soaked spandex and looked at the ground. She felt so ashamed of the way she had acted. Okay so maybe she wasn't sorry for pissing Chi-Chi off, but she was sorry for upsetting Kakarot. It was like his tears burned her already boiling skin. His pain was her pain and vice versa. It had always been that way and it always will be.

"Are you okay now?" Kakarot asked as he moved her hair from her face.

"Kakarot I am so sorry." Bulma whispered, still refusing to make eye contact. "I don't even know why I said the things that I did."

"It's okay," He said as he wiped away the tears that lingered on her cheeks and lifted her face so that she was looking at him. "Just please, promise me that you will tell me the next time you feel that way. Even if it's just beating the shit out of me or using me as a pillow to cry on or whatever is they say in those movies. Just don't keep bottling everything up."

"I promise." Bulma whispered.

* * *

**A/N - So much drama and angst! **

**So Bulma has finally cracked! Can any of you guess what might be wrong with her? I don't know if I went slightly over the top in this chapter, so I'm sorry if I offend anyone but apparently - from what I've been told -****the first is always the worst. That is all I'm going to say, just in case I give anything else away.**

**And just in case anybody is thinking I'm going a little over the top with Bulma being heartbroken over Goku/Kakarot (I think I prefer the name Kakarot haha), just remember that he's the only boy her age that she can speak to because everyone else avoids her due to her friendship with the Saiyans. He's also the only one who she has ever been intimate with and has ever told her that he loves her and that he thinks she's beautiful. He then went on to marry another girl... Also, I think we all know how much of a drama queen Bulma is.**

**Anyways, tell me what you think about this chapter, give your suggestions as to what might be wrong with Bulma and please, please, _please, _tell me if I accidentally offend you. I know I'm repeating myself, but offending anyone of the Internet is the last thing I want to do, especially with such a delicate subject that I was sceptical about putting in a story in the first place. **

**REVIEW! :-) **


	7. Feeling

**Chapter 7 – Feeling **

Bulma picked at the food that was in front of her, trying her hardest to ignore the looks she was receiving from her family and Kakarot's. She felt so embarrassed about the way she had acted. Well, she didn't really care about the stuff she had said to Chi-Chi. In fact, Bulma was more than certain that she wouldn't even mind saying it again. But for Kakarot, she wouldn't say anything. Apparently whenever Bulma upset Chi-Chi, it upset him too. With the little energy she had, she scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Is something the matter, sweetie?" Mrs Briefs asked with her usual bright smile as soon as she heard the noise.

"No."

What was it with these people? Why were they suddenly watching her every move and listening to every sound she made? Bulma was sure that she wouldn't even be surprised if they were listening to the beat of her heart or the sound of her breathing.

"Why don't you try to eat something?" Dr Briefs suggested as he glanced at her plate, "Kakarot told us you didn't eat breakfast either."

"I'm not hungry." She said as she pushed yet another untouched meal away from her. "And Kakarot should mind his own business."

Kakarot shot her a look, which surprised Bulma. Usually during meals, talking to Kakarot was like talking to a brick wall. It was impossible to have any sort of conversation and he would completely blank you out the second that he saw the food.

"But Bulma dear," Mrs Briefs frowned. "You're going to lose your beautiful figure if you don't eat enough."

"Yeah we wouldn't want that now, would we Bulma?" Turles smirked as he ran his lust filled eyes over her body, earning growls from Kakarot and Bardock and a glare from Dr Briefs. Raditz simply looked amused whilst Chi-Chi looked annoyed.

Bulma smirked in return as she popped her elbow onto the table and placed her chin in her hand, "Do you like what you see Turles?"

That was another thing Bardock had noticed. Bulma wasn't getting angry with Turles or anyone else hitting on her. In fact, she flirted back. It was completely unlike her. Not only that, it was quite uncomfortable having her openly flirt with his brother who was over twice her age.

"I do." Turles said before giving her a knowing look and glancing to Kakarot, "And I know you like what you see."

The smirk fell from Bulma's face and at the same time, everyone looked at her. Without saying a word, Bulma stood up and left the room. She didn't miss the smug look Chi-Chi gave her and the pissed off looks everyone else was giving Turles. Nobody ever mentioned what happened between Kakarot and Bulma because they knew it was a sore topic for her.

"That was uncalled for." Kakarot said to his uncle with a rare scowl on his face, "Especially after what happened today."

"I think she deserved it." Chi-Chi shrugged as she put another mouthful of food into her mouth.

Kakarot was about to stand up but he was beaten to the punch when Raditz stood up.

"I'll go and talk to her." Raditz said as he walked out of the room. "You stay with your mate."

Chi-Chi scoffed. She really didn't like Bulma. Why would she? The girl was smart, strong and had the looks of a Goddess. Of course she was going to feel insecure of having her husband around Bulma, especially when they travelled alone for long periods of time. It didn't help either when she found out about the history between the two. Chi-Chi trusted her husband, she just didn't trust Bulma.

Kakarot nodded to his brother whilst resisting the urge to roll his eyes at his mate's thoughts. He had told Chi-Chi the day he met her that Bulma would always be a part of his life but not in a romantic way. Why couldn't they both just get on? He was sure that if they put aside their differences, they would get along. What happened between him and Bulma was a one time thing and it would never happen again.

Mrs and Dr Briefs had a very good idea with what might be wrong with their daughter. Since she had arrived, they had been watching her closely and ticking off all of the things she had been doing that were out of character. Mrs Briefs just hoped that her only daughter didn't have what she had because she knew how hard it was to live with it.

O.o.O

Bulma knew that she was being followed. It didn't take a genius to know that. She could hear his footsteps as his boots hit the metal floor and she could sense his energy close behind her. When Bulma reached her room, she opened the door and walked in whilst holding the door open for Raditz.

She didn't miss how his eyes scanned the room as he made sure there were no traps or people waiting to attack him. She resisted the urge to laugh at him. But truthfully, she kind of felt the same paranoia as him. Now-a-days, Bulma didn't know who she could trust.

"What do you want, Raditz?" Bulma asked as she sat down on her sofa and rubbed her tired eyes.

Raditz sat down besides Bulma and sighed. He had no idea how to talk to her about what was going on with her. Honestly, Raditz had no idea what he was going to do. All he was sure of was that whatever the hell was going on with Bulma, was putting _a lot _of strain on his brother and Chi-Chi's relationship. He didn't know if he could take the strain away from the relationship but perhaps he could help Bulma with her frustration.

It wasn't hard to pick up on the girl's feelings. No matter how hard she tried, Bulma still hadn't mastered how to control the deeper emotions such as the smell that was released by her arousal or by her fear, sadness, regret… _loneliness_.

"The question isn't what do I want, although it is pretty obvious." Raditz shrugged nonchalantly as he leaned back into the sofa. "The question is what do _you _want?"

Bulma smirked as she turned her body to face him and leaned against the arm of the sofa. "Is that your attempt at flirting?" Before Raditz could even reply, Bulma quickly sat on his lap, straddling him as she pushed her chest against his and whispered into his ear, "You're going to have to try a little harder than that to turn me on."

Raditz smirked as he rested one hand on Bulma's hip and the other hand trailed up her back until it was in her hair.

"I'm more of a man of action rather than a man of words." He replied huskily as the grip on Bulma's hip tightened and he grinded his hips against hers.

Even though it wasn't much, it was enough to get Bulma going. She couldn't help but think that it had been so long since she had been intimate with anyone. Bulma pushed aside all thoughts as she pulled her vest top over her head, revealing her black lace bra. She needed release. She needed some excitement. She needed thrill. She needed _fun._

She needed this.

Raditz leaned forward to press his lips to hers but before he could reach, Bulma pressed one finger to his lips.

"This is just physical." She said firmly before adding in a more seductive tone as she lowered her lips to his ear, her teeth grazing his earlobe as she spoke, "Just _hot_, wild, no strings attached sex."

The way her breath washed over him sent shivers down Raditz's spine and was more than enough to make his mind up for him. He inwardly shrugged. That was fine by him. Without giving any warning, he stood up from the sofa with her legs wrapped around his waist and pushed Bulma against the closest wall. If she wanted rough, wild and hot sex, then he'll give her just what she wanted.

Raditz put Bulma down as he stepped back slightly and pulled his armour over his head. He then yanked Bulma's body flush against his own as his lips savagely kissed her neck, making her gasp and moan at the feeling. Raditz smirked as he thought about what sort of teasing he could do if she was reacting so strongly to just a simple kiss on her neck.

He trailed his kisses up her neck, to her jaw and then attacked her mouth with his lips, as soon as their tongues connected, Bulma wrapped her arms around Raditz's neck and grinded against him. The only thing that kept running through her mind was how much she was enjoying his attention. Bulma moaned as his hand squeezed her breast whilst the other hand pulled her hips even closer to his.

Once again, Raditz pushed Bulma against the wall but this time, he kept his body flush against hers. The hand that was once holding onto Bulma's hip trailed from her hip down to the buttons of her shorts. Without wasting any time, he quickly undid the buttons and pulled the zipper down before he moved his hand under her shorts and underwear waistbands and rubbed his finger against her wetness. He never broke their hungry kiss for a second.

She gasped as the small yet strong movement of his finger brought her pleasure. Her gasp soon turned into moans as he slipped one finger into her and Bulma closed her eyes and grabbed a fistful of his surprisingly soft hair as he plunged another finger into her. Her knees grew weak as he kept up an intense rhythm and her hips rocked against his fingers. The only thing that was keeping her standing was her arms around Raditz's neck. He moved his kisses back to her neck as she continued to moan. The sound was like music to his ears.

The smell of her arousal was making him painfully hard and the fact that his fingers were now soaked with her juices and she was panting and moaning in his ear was making it all the more painful.

However before the two could continue, there was a knock on her door followed by the door opening. The two jerked a part and Bulma glared at the person who dared to intrude.

He knew he had interrupted something. He could smell Bulma's arousal from down the hall. Hell, he could smell it from her parents' place thanks to his sensitive senses and the fact that he _knew_ her scent. Why he was stood at her door glaring at the two of them, he didn't know. It wasn't like she belonged to him, so why did he feel angry that Raditz was so close to her? Why did he feel angry when he could hear her moans from the dinner table as though he was tuned into her? Nobody else appeared to have smelled or heard anything but Kakarot ignored the thoughts. As soon as he had heard her, he was out of the Briefs' dining room and sprinting towards her rooms. He couldn't explain the feeling of betrayal as the smell of her arousal hit him like a punch in the face. He couldn't explain the pain he felt when he saw the two of them together so intimately.

All Kakarot did know was that he didn't like it.

"Raditz," He said with a serious look on his face as he tried his hardest to keep the anger and betrayal out of his voice. "I think you should leave. I need to talk to Bulma, privately."

"No," Bulma snapped as she put her hands on her hips. "He doesn't have to go anywhere. I invited Raditz in and I was the one who made the first move."

"Damn it Bulma!" Kakarot yelled angrily. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What the hell are _you_ doing?" She screamed right back at him. "This is _my _room! You can't just barge in here whenever you feel like it."

By now they had caught the attention of Bardock and Turles, who had both come as soon as Kakarot ran out during dinner. They knew it had to be something serious if he just ditched half way through a meal without saying anything. Turles and Bardock stared with wide eyes at the girl whose chest was covered by nothing more than a black lacy bra, her shorts were undone and Raditz was half naked. The smell of their arousals lingered in the air, making Kakarot even angrier.

"Get out!" Bulma yelled. Her frustration was higher than ever now since she had been close to release. Knowing that the person who could give her the release she craved was standing close beside her, was maddening.

Raditz didn't know what to do or what to say. One minute he was being told to leave by his brother and the next Bulma was telling him to stay. He looked between the two warily. He had never felt so unsure before in his entire life and he didn't like it.

"Will you all just get out?" She yelled again but again, nobody listened to her.

"Bulma, why are you doing this?" Kakarot shouted, "This isn't you!"

"Why does it matter to you? I'm not bothering you, am I? Does the fact that I'm not panting after you make upset you or something? Am I not allowed a life of my own?"

Her questions made him stop and think. Why _did_ it matter to him? It _was _bothering him, but why? Yes he was upset about it but not because she wasn't 'panting' after him. He wasn't even sure why it was upsetting him.

"Of course you are," Kakarot said as calmly as he possibly could. "But not like this. This isn't you!"

Bulma growled as she stalked towards Kakarot and glared at him. Why was he doing this to her? Why couldn't he just be happy for her and let her get on with her life?

"So what if it isn't me." She said in a cold voice with a shrug, "For the first time in ages, I was feeling something other than boredom and emptiness. I don't care if it means I'm not being me or that I'm changing, I'm tired of not feeling anything!"

Bardock stepped into the room and picked Bulma's top off of the floor before throwing it to her. It would make him much more comfortable if he could talk to her whilst she was fully dressed. She was like a daughter to him, hell he had helped raise her so seeing Bulma in such a way was a little more than uncomfortable and awkward for him. Bulma pulled the top back on and fastened the buttons on her shorts but continued to glare at Kakarot, who only returned the glare straight back at her.

"Bulma, Kakarot is right." Bardock said after a few seconds of nothing but silence and glaring. "This isn't you. I don't know what the hell happened during the past two months but it's changed you."

Bulma ran her fingers through her hair as she tried to reign in her anger. She had told them all only moments ago that she didn't care if it wasn't her. She had told them all so many times that she was fine. From the corner of her eye she watched as Raditz put on his armour and followed Turles out of the room. She turned her gaze back to Kakarot but instead of feeling angry, she felt empty.

"Why are you the only one who's allowed to be happy?" She said in such a hurt tone that she might as well have been stabbing him in the heart.

Bardock sighed, "Would sleeping with Raditz really make you happy?"

"Maybe not the happy you're thinking of." She muttered before speaking up, "Neither of you own me, I'm my own person. I can make my own mistakes to learn from because it's all a part of growing up! Why can't either of you see that?" She looked at Kakarot in the eye as she spoke only to him, "You can't control who I sleep with Kakarot. I don't know whether it's jealousy or- or possessiveness but you need to back the hell off. You have Chi-Chi so let me find _my _mate."

"You think sleeping around is going to help you find your mate?" Kakarot chuckled humourlessly but his chuckling stopped as a loud smack turned his head harshly to the side.

"Just fuck off!" She yelled angrily as she pushed Kakarot towards the door. "Just leave me the fuck alone and stop trying to control me! I'm not your mate, Chi-Chi is. So go annoy her or better yet, go and visit your son for the first time in God knows how long."

Kakarot stared at the girl who was trying her hardest to push him out of the room but he didn't budge an inch. Instead, he stared wide eyed at her. What happened to his best friend? Why was she trying to hurt him? He was only looking out for her. He was only trying to protect her. Why was she being this way? What had happened to the Bulma he grew up with?

Bardock pulled Bulma away from his son. "Kakarot is only doing this because you're a part of his pack. It's his duty to keep away whoever he sees as an unworthy male and to protect you."

"Yeah well I don't to be a part of his stupid pack if it means that I can't live my own life." Bulma said stubbornly as she folded her arms across her chest.

"You don't want to…" He couldn't even finish his sentence. "Whatever. Make a name for yourself as the ship's whore, see if I care." Kakarot shook his head before walking out of the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Bulma scoffed, "Yeah you're just jealous that I'm not sleeping with you!" She screamed after him. Bulma knew for a fact that he heard her.

After a few seconds of silence, Bulma walked over to the door, opened it but she stopped as she looked back into her living room. "Are you coming or not?" she said impatiently to Bardock.

"What you said has really hurt Kakarot, you know." Bardock frowned. "You're the first member of his own pack."

He hadn't missed the look of hurt that shone in his son's eyes before he left. For someone to say that they didn't want to be a part of your pack or have anything to do with you anymore was hard. Especially when they had been so close for over ten years now, the two had travelled across the universe together. They did everything together. Hell, they had even slept together! He had never seen such a strong connection before. For Bulma to say that she didn't want to be a part of his pack anymore after everything they had been through together was surely causing his son a lot of pain.

"I don't care." Bulma said with a cold and empty look on her face, "Now are you coming or not?"

Bardock shook his head as he walked out of Bulma's rooms and started to make his nightly rounds. He had to clear his head and think about things.

Bulma frowned before shutting the door. She had no idea where she was going, but she couldn't stay in there any longer. She wanted to get out and have some fun! Surely there would be other people at headquarters that were her age? Hopefully some that weren't afraid of her because of her friendship with the Saiyans.

Bulma smirked before walking away from her room.

* * *

**A/N - Do you guys want anything else to happen between Raditz and Bulma? Or do you think they should just be friends? **

**More drama! Can any of you guess what Bulma's condition is yet?**

**Oh and as for Bulma and Chi-Chi's relationship, they're not the best of friends mainly because of Bulma's feelings for Kakarot and Chi-Chi's jealousy about how Bulma travels for months at a time with him. So yeah, there's quite a bit of insecurity there which will probably be more explained and detailed in the next couple of chapters. **

**I know that you're all going to hate me because Vegeta still isn't in the story yet, but I think it's better this way. You get to learn more about Bulma's character therefore you see the change she goes through when Vegeta does arrive. **

**Also, do you guys want me to start doing little previews for the next chapter at the bottom of each chapter? I got told some people enjoy them...**

**REVIEW! :-) **


	8. Not Well Part 1

**Chapter 8 – Not Well**

Chi-Chi scoffed as Turles told her and the others the reason why her husband had left dinner so quickly. Stood beside Turles was Raditz, who looked uncomfortable with being there. At the dinner table, Mrs Briefs exchanged a worried glance with Dr Briefs.

"Well it doesn't surprise me." Chi-Chi shrugged nonchalantly, "She's nothing more than a cheap whore."

"Don't speak about my daughter like that!" Mrs Briefs snapped as she stood up and glared at the brunette girl.

Nobody was shocked by Mrs Briefs's sudden change from her usual cheerful and smiley mood to an angry mood. Her mood swings were as famous as Bulma's. Dr Briefs also stood up and placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, but she shrugged it off.

"Why not?" Chi-Chi asked. "I don't trust her and I sure as hell don't like her."

Mrs Briefs laughed humourlessly, "Bulma was right! You _are _jealous about her relationship with Kakarot. Well I suggest you keep your nasty little comments to yourself and get out of our home because you are no longer welcome here. You're a horrible, _horrible _person."

Chi-Chi stared wide eyed at the blonde woman and was about to reply when Kakarot walked into the room, looking angry and hurt. His fists clenched and unclenched every second or so.

"Kakarot," Dr Briefs said as soon as he noticed the boy, "Is Bulma okay? Turles and Raditz told us what happened. Please tell me she's okay."

Kakarot looked up at his brother, scoffed and shook his head in disbelief before looking back to the Briefs', "She said she was 'just having fun' and that it was the most alive she had felt for a while."

Mrs Briefs started to cry as her and her husband's thoughts were proven to be true. She now knew what was wrong with her daughter. She now knew why she was acting in such a way. However before she could say anything, Bulma walked into the room with a bright smile but her smile disappeared as soon as she saw Kakarot and his family.

Bulma was actually quite surprised to see everyone still at her parents' home. Normally, they left straight after the meal. As her eyes fell on the table, she saw that it was still full of food. Bulma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Why the hell did Kakarot have to feel so strongly about her seeing other people? Better yet, why was he such a drama queen?

"Bulma dear," Mrs Briefs said as she quickly wiped away her tears, "Did you change your mind about having something to eat?"

"Why are you crying?" Bulma frowned as she glared at the others in the room as if they were to blame for her mother's distress and unhappiness.

Mrs Briefs smiled brightly, "Who's crying? Now do you want me to grab you a plate of food before it gets cold?"

She shook her head as she returned the look of disgust that Chi-Chi gave her and then winked at Raditz. "I was just wondering if either of you know if there was anyone else here my age that _won't _judge me or try to make me feel bad for simply living my life."

"Bulma you're not living your life by sleeping with Raditz!" Kakarot yelled angrily, surprising everyone except Bulma and Turles with his outburst.

"Why are you so bothered?!" She screamed back at him as she walked over to the table and poured herself a glass of wine. "Why does it bother you so much what or _who_ I do? I told you already. I don't want to be a part of your stupid pack if it means that I can't live my life the way I want to!"

Kakarot walked forward and knocked the glass out of her hand, making it smash into the wall. He ignored the shocked yelp that came from Mrs Briefs as he glared at Bulma. Why couldn't she see that she wasn't acting normal? Why was she being so stubborn as to not see that he was only doing what he was doing because he didn't want to see her get hurt?

Mrs Briefs was the one who broke the silence, "I think you all need to leave. We need to speak to Bulma, alone."

"Whatever." Chi-Chi shrugged before smirking. "Oh and Bunny, about what you said to me… Well I have reason to believe that what you said it not actually true."

Her ever present smile faltered as she looked from her daughter and Kakarot and up to Chi-Chi. "What are you talking about?"

Chi-Chi shrugged again. "Well you said that Kakarot didn't regret giving himself to Bulma, but that's not what he told me."

Kakarot's expression turned blank as Bulma's accusing and hurt eyes turned to him. "What?" Her voice sounded as though it was strained, "You… regret ever being with me?"

He didn't answer, which made Bulma's heart tighten but instead of crying, she took a deep breath and turned to face Chi-Chi. "I don't care and it still doesn't change the fact that sex with you would be boring." Bulma walked over to Raditz and circled him with a smirk on her face and a predatory look in her eye. "He barely even touched me and it brought pleasure I never felt before."

Raditz smirked at the girl. "Well there's more where that came from."

Kakarot frowned but otherwise held his blank, expressionless face. Chi-Chi also frowned as she saw that she wasn't going to receive the reaction she wanted. Chi-Chi walked up to Kakarot and grabbed hold of his arm but when he didn't turn away from Bulma, she frowned. "Kakarot, come on."

"I'm sorry Chi-Chi," Kakarot said as he finally looked at his mate, "But I need to be here."

"Why?" Chi-Chi nearly yelled. "Why do you need to be here with her instead of with me?"

"Just go home. I'll be back soon."

Turles pulled Chi-Chi away from Kakarot and followed Raditz as he left the room silently.

Dr Briefs sat back down in his place at the table as his wife walked over and placed her hands on both sides of Bulma's cheeks. Once again, tears filled her eyes as she stared intently into her daughter's eyes.

"Bulma you're not well." Mrs Briefs said with a shaky voice.

Bulma pulled away from her mother like she had just burned her. Her eyes darted from her mother over to her father and then to Kakarot. They each had a sincere look in their eyes. Bulma turned back to her mother.

"What do you mean I'm not well?" She said with a bright smile as she tried her hardest to push her unease away, "I told you I'm fine! Look," She said as she twirled around slowly, "I'm okay, there's nothing wrong with me."

"She doesn't mean physically, Bulma." Her father said softly.

The blue haired girl glared at her father. What was he trying to suggest? "What?"

"We think you may be bipolar, Bulma." Mrs Briefs said as she tried to take a step towards her daughter but Bulma took another step back, slowly shaking her head.

She knew what bipolar was. Her mother was bipolar. It was the reason why she was always so cheerful and always smiling and it was also why she had such sudden mood swings. Bulma watched as the blonde woman let out a soft sob, looking at her mother in disgust. She wasn't bipolar! How could she be?

"I'm not crazy." Bulma said in a low voice as she took another step away from her mother.

Kakarot rested his hand on his best friend's shoulder to comfort her but she backed away from him too.

"Being bipolar doesn't mean you're crazy." Mrs Briefs said with a smile.

Bulma looked at her mother with disbelief, "Yes it does!" She shouted, "You're crazy and I'm nothing like you. Look… I don't know where you got the whole idea from that I'm bipolar just because you are and I don't care. I am _not _bipolar, okay?"

"All the signs are there Bulma." Dr Briefs said as he got up from his place and stood beside his wife. "You said so yourself that you've been feeling empty. You have barely eaten anything for two whole days; you're taking risks that you would never have taken before. You're talking quickly. You're easily agitated or irritated – more so than usual. You said before that Chi-Chi and Kakarot were both out to get you when they're not. You're just not yourself Bulma."

"Just because I have some of the signs it doesn't mean that I'm bipolar, dad." Bulma said angrily through clenched teeth.

Kakarot shook his head and sighed, remembering what the symptoms were. "You've been completely lacking energy. You've been saying how you're 'too hot' and you didn't even notice the coldness of the ship when you turned the temperature down. You're mood swings are out of control, Bulma."

"Please Bulma," Her mother cried as more tears fell from her eyes. "You're not well. If this goes untreated, something bad could happen to you or you could seriously hurt someone else, someone you care about."

Bulma growled loudly, earning an automatic warning growl in reply from Kakarot. She ignored him. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you that I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Bulma!" Kakarot yelled.

The blue haired human ran her fingers through her hair as she started to pace. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? Why did they have to make up such stupid accusations? There was no way that she was bipolar! She wasn't crazy like her mother.

Mrs Briefs watched her daughter warily as she paced back and forth. Bulma ran her fingers through her hair again before rubbing the back of her neck. She shook her head and scoffed as she looked back to her parents and Kakarot. She wasn't crazy. She only wanted to have some fun!

Why were they lying to her? The question kept running through her head. Perhaps they were all jealous. She wasn't tied down and still had the chance to go out and have fun, unlike them. Kakarot married so young – his life had barely even started and he was already a husband and a father! Her mother and father had married young too and it wasn't too long after that that they had her.

They were all just jealous that she still had a life to live.

Bulma started to laugh again. _They _thought _she _was crazy?! They were the ones who were making up lies about her. Her laughing stopped as did her pacing and she stared at them with wide eyes. Maybe they were trying to make sure she never found someone who cares about her or who could love her. Maybe that was why Kakarot seemed so angry earlier. Maybe she was ruining their plans!

Dr Briefs looked hopeful that perhaps his daughter had finally come to her senses about her illness but when her shock turned into anger, he knew he was wrong.

Before anyone could register her movements, Bulma ran out of the front door and darted down the hallway. Kakarot shook the surprise from his head as he took off after her with the Briefs' trailing behind him slowly.

Bulma ignored the looks of shock and fear from other members of the Rebellion Army as she flew down the hallway with Kakarot a couple of seconds behind her. She was near the docking station when a set of strong arms wrapped around her, stopping any movement. Bulma screamed loudly when she realised that she could barely even move and thrashed angrily.

"Let go of me!" She screamed, nearly destroying Bardock's eardrums.

He had been walking around headquarters when he felt a high power level moving towards him at a great speed. Also, Mrs Briefs was screaming at him through his scouter that her daughter had run out of their home after giving her the news.

"You need to stay calm Bulma," Bardock ordered as he tightened his grip.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Bulma yelled at the man who was like a second father to her.

Only a few seconds passed before Kakarot stopped right in front of them, nearly knocking Bardock over with the wind from his speed.

"Kakarot," Bulma cried desperately, "Get him to let go of me."

He shook his head as he frowned at his friend. They had to do this. She may not like it now, but in the long run she would thank them for it. After what had happened in the docking station earlier that day, his father and Bulma's parents expressed their concern to him and what they thought it could be. At first, he didn't have a clue what bipolar was and he probably still didn't. All he did know was that if it went untreated, Bulma could end up doing serious harm to herself or others around her and he wasn't willing to risk that.

"Please," She begged as tears started to pour from her eyes. "Please Kakarot, you have to help me."

"We are helping you." He said quietly as he walked forward and lifted her face with one of his hands. Kakarot felt tears of his own started to form but he shook them away.

Bulma's knees gave in on her as realisation dawned on her. "I thought you loved me." She whispered as she collapsed against Bardock's chest. "I thought you all cared about me."

"We do care about you Bulma." Bardock said as he kept her standing. "That's why we're doing this."

She shook her head angrily as she started to thrash again. "No you don't!" She screamed as she broke Bardock's hold on her with a flare of her ki.

Bardock was knocked against the far wall as her power blew him away. He stood up and shook the pain from the side of his head, he saw that Bulma was quick to fall into a fighting stance, as she slowly stepped back a few paces and never took her eyes away from Kakarot's form.

"Bulma," Kakarot begged. "Don't do this."

She glared at him as she shook away her tears and took another step back. Bulma knew that it was just luck that she had managed to break out of Bardock's hold and she also knew that she had no chance against Kakarot but she could probably buy some time. Her bones and joints were still pretty stiff from the day before but she ignored them as she slowly powered up to her maximum. Bulma felt relief as the power coursed through her veins, making her feel like she had more energy.

The blue haired human jumped back a couple of more steps as Raditz and Turles ran into the docking station to see what was happening. She rolled her eyes. Of course those two would come to help Kakarot. She should have known that she couldn't trust any of them.

"Stay back." Kakarot said as he sensed the two moving to flank him. "Let me deal with this."

"But Kakarot," Turles argued. "What if she manages to get passed you? She's faster than all of us!"

Bulma's glare hardened as she heard them talk about her like she wasn't even in the room but she was grateful that she wouldn't have to fight them all at once. Through the corner of her eye, she watched as Bardock took a stance near her ship to make sure she couldn't leave. The feeling of being trapped started to make itself known to her. She felt like there was no way out. Even if she did somehow manage to defeat Kakarot, Raditz and Turles were guarding the door and Bardock was guarding the ships. But then again, that wound on his head looked pretty painful…

"Let me go." She growled.

Why were they doing this to her? Why wouldn't they let her leave? All she had wanted to do was live her life and after only a day of doing so, they all turn against her. Well, except Chi-Chi since she had always been against her.

"You know we can't do that Bulma." Kakarot said in a calm and patient voice.

Why? Why can't he do that? After everything she had done for him! After everything she had done for all of them! She should have known that it would all backfire on her, how could it not? She _was _dealing with Saiyans after all. Perhaps she should have listened to all of the warnings others have given her. Hell, they had even managed to turn her own parents against her!

"Why are you doing this?" She whispered as her hair whipped around her face with the wind that now filled the room from her power.

"We're not doing anything, Bulma." Kakarot said as he took a step forward.

Bulma answered him by taking another step back. She had to put as much distance between them as possible. She ignored the look of hurt that flashed in her ex-lovers eyes. She didn't care. He had hurt her more times than she could count. Okay so maybe that was a slight exaggeration but he still hurt her.

"You're always hurting me." She said quietly as she took yet another step backwards.

Kakarot felt his primal instincts to comfort her and to protect her kick in tenfold but he tried his best to ignore them. Like Turles had said, Bulma was a lot faster than all of them so he had to be completely on guard. However before he could do anything, Bulma flew forward and knocked Bardock out cold with a single blow to a pressure point before she flew onto her ship and started to power up the engines.

Before she had attacked, she planned. The second they landed back at headquarters and vacated the ship, the technicians had been quick to fully restock the ship in case of emergencies and she had also left all of her belongings in a capsule case that was currently in her pocket. She had everything she needed. Bulma wasn't sure where exactly she would go, but she had to go somewhere. She wasn't safe here, not with everyone out to get her.

As the door started to slowly close, Raditz managed to squeeze through the door, almost catching his hair as it closed in the process. Growing up on Frieza's ship had taught him to be fast so the second it registered what Bulma was doing, he was already in the ship with her.

Bulma jumped as she heard someone behind her and at the same second, Kakarot started to bang on the ships door, demanding that she opened it. She laughed. It was too late! She had already powered up the engines and was ready to blast off. All she had to do was make sure that Raditz didn't switch them off. Bulma spun around just in time to block a punch that was meant to knock her out and swiftly kicked Raditz in the stomach, making him double over. As he was hunched over, Raditz was quick to grab her thighs and pull, causing her to fall backwards and hit the back of her head against the console and fall to the ground. He quickly straddled her waist to keep her down as he hit the disengage button.

Raditz exhaled shakily as the ship's door opened and Kakarot flew into the room. Kakarot sighed in relief as he saw that his brother had managed to stop Bulma. He had to admit, for a second there he thought he had lost her and his brother for good. Kakarot couldn't explain the panic that flooded his mind and chest as he banged his fists against the doors. He never thought that there would ever be a time that he would be happy that his brother was on top of Bulma.

* * *

**A/N - So there you have it! The reason why Bulma has been acting so strangely is because she's bipolar. I said this in a previous chapter but I'm going to say it again anyways... I heard that a physical trauma could 'jump start' the condition and I thought breaking Bulma's legs, ribs and arms would be quite traumatic for her since she has never had a single broken bone in her life...**

**I would just like to say well done madkatlady for guessing correctly. I _love _your name by the way.**

**At first I thought that maybe I was over playing it or not doing enough but quite a few of you guessed it. So yeah, if any of you know more about the condition and if you think I'm doing something wrong, please feel free to private message me or just leave a review telling me what I should work on. **

**Before I go and watch the latest episode of Naruto Shippuden (I know, I'm a geek, but Gaara and Itachi are hot)... **

**I would just like to say something. I got quite a few flames on the last chapter and the fact that I can't reply to them because they're all guest accounts is maddening. I would just like to let you all (those who have been sending anonymous flames) know that I'm not going to be changing the story just because you don't like how it's going. This is _my_ story and if I want Bulma to sleep with Raditz, then she will. I'm not saying that she _is_ going to, but it's a possibility. Oh and as for not reading my story anymore because of Bulma's moment with Raditz, then go ahead. I have quite a lot of loyal readers who won't just give up on me because of something like that. **

**It kind of bugged me when I got a review saying that my story wasn't progressing and even though I was told not to take offence, it doesn't change the fact that it annoyed me. Vegeta isn't in these chapters for a reason and when or if he finds out that Bulma has been with two third classes... well... let's just say that at least she hasn't been with Yamcha ;-) **

**I don't 'approve' those annoying guest account flames and instead just delete them. Why would I want reviews like that? If people are like me and read reviews before actually reading the story, then who will want to read my story if they're being told that it's an awful plot? **

**If I bring Vegeta in now, then the story will just flop and seem rushed and that's the last thing I want. I spent so long looking into Bulma's condition and thinking of how I should write her episodes because I honestly have no experience when it comes to bipolar except from the fact my friend's mother was diagnosed with it. I wanted people to be aware of how dangerous it could be if it went untreated and that it would be in your best interest to get it treated before things get _really_ bad. I think bipolar and other mental illnesses are scary. Members in my family have mental illnesses and I would just like to say, if anyone ever needs to talk, I'm always here... like, literally. I may not be the best with words, but I do know how it feels to find out a member of your family is ill and I know how hard it is to cope with it. **

**Thank you to everyone who has stuck by me and not given up with story! I promise you when Vegeta comes into the story, you will _all_ know about it ;-)**

**So anyways, if you have any questions, suggestions or just want to talk then leave a review or message me! :-) **

**REVIEW! **

_**Preview for the next**_** chapter:**

_Wait._

_Why were there lights over her? Her eyes darted across the room with blurred vision as a beeping noise, her heartbeat and her breathing started to accelerate. Her mind started racing again until it felt like the whole room was spinning out of control. _


	9. Not Well Part 2

**Chapter 9 – Not Well Part 2**

Bulma opened her eyes but immediately shut them again and groaned. She had a killer headache and the bright lights above her was not helping. The thought made her stop groaning as her eyes snapped back open despite the blinding light.

Wait.

Why were there lights over her? Her eyes darted across the room with blurred vision as a beeping noise, her heartbeat and her breathing started to accelerate. Her mind started racing again until it felt like the whole room was spinning out of control.

"Bulma, honey," A familiar voice said although she couldn't see the person's face. "You need to calm down."

Memories flashed across her mind at her mother's words.

"_You need to stay calm Bulma," Bardock ordered as he tightened his grip._

What were they doing to her? Again, her eyes scanned the room to find four people stood around her bed staring at her. Her father and Bardock stood at the foot of her bed whilst her mother was on her left side and Kakarot was on her right. Three of the sets of eyes were worried whilst the other one was empty, but she could tell that he too, was worried.

"Where am I?" Her voice cracked from overuse and dryness.

"You're in the medical ward." Bardock said as Mrs Briefs poured a glass of water and helped her daughter to sit up and drink.

Why was she in a medical ward? She couldn't remember much from the night before a part from-

She blushed.

How could she do such a thing?

"What's the matter sweetie?" Mrs Briefs asked as she moved stray strands of hair out of Bulma's slightly sweating face.

"Did I?" She whispered before clearing her throat and speaking louder. "Did I really… you know… let Raditz-"

"Yes." Kakarot nodded and said quickly before she could finish her sentence. His expression was hard as well as the look in his eyes.

Her blush grew. But Bulma found that she wasn't embarrassed by what she had done and she wasn't ashamed.

She wanted to do it again.

Only this time, she wanted to go further.

The feelings she had felt the day before returned to her and she started to laugh. She had never felt so alive before! She wanted to do it all again, she wanted to feel wanted all over again. Bulma stopped laughing after a few seconds but a smile remained on her face as she remembered the rush she had felt. Her actions were completely out of character and she loved it.

Mrs Briefs smiled at the happy look on her daughter's face. That was all she had ever wanted for her baby girl, for her to be happy and safe. Mrs Briefs didn't want Bulma to have to struggle with the same mental illness as her but she knew that there was nothing that could stop it. Of course there were pills that could help her but she would never truly get away from it.

"Wait," Bulma said as her smile faltered. "If I was with Raditz… why am I in here?"

Kakarot frowned, as did Dr Briefs and Bardock. The only person who didn't look worried or upset that Bulma couldn't remember what had happened was Mrs Briefs. Honestly, she didn't want her daughter to remember how they had told her. To her, it didn't seem like they handled the situation as well as they could have.

"Kakarot interrupted your, uh, _time _with Raditz," Bardock said awkwardly and ignored the glare Bulma was currently giving his son. "And after that you-"

"No." Mrs Briefs glared at Bardock. "I don't want her to find out about it that way. It's not fair and it's not the way to handle such a delicate situation, especially if she reacted so strongly to it last night."

Bulma's heartbeat started to accelerate again as well as the beeping noise and her breathing. What the hell was going on? What did hear mother not want her to know? She said that was a bad way of telling her but the way she was talking was much worse! Bulma would rather have them be brutally honest with her rather than hiding things from her.

"What did I do last night?" Bulma whispered as she sat up on the medical ward's bed.

Mrs Briefs shook her head as she tried to make Bulma lie back down, but she wouldn't budge an inch and in the end, Mrs Briefs gave up. "It doesn't matter dear, you're safe and nobody is going to hurt you."

Was that supposed to make her feel better? Her mind was racing to try and find out what she had done last night but it was going too fast to actually find any information.

"Tell me!" Bulma yelled.

Kakarot walked forward a couple of steps and sat on the edge of Bulma's bed. Again, her heart started to race at his proximity which made the beeping noise that was monitoring her heart also accelerate. Bulma started to grow tired and embarrassed of the beeping and went to blast the machine but a hand stopped her. She looked up but Kakarot simply shook his head. Bulma ignored the way her heart was beating much faster because of his touch and snatched her arm away from him.

"Tell me what the hell happened." She growled.

"You're bipolar, Bulma." Kakarot told her, "And when we tried to tell you last night you ran out and tried to leave headquarters. You attacked my father and Raditz and you were powering up and preparing to attack me."

Bulma shook her head as she took in his words. No. She wouldn't do that! She wasn't crazy or bipolar. She wouldn't attack the people she cared about. Not unless she had a good enough reason to.

"You're lying." Bulma whispered as tears started to form in her eyes. She looked down to hide her weakness but Kakarot lifted her chin so that she was looking him in the eye.

"Look me in the eye and tell me if I'm lying." He said softly.

Bulma ignored that there was only one to two inches of space between them and she ignored how his closeness was affecting her body. She didn't care if there was sincerity or honesty or anything of the sort in his eyes. People lied. She had learned that the hard way.

"Let go of me, Kakarot." Bulma ordered in a voice that sounded stronger than she felt.

He shook his head. "No. You need to face this."

More tears started to fall from Bulma's eyes as the truth finally sunk in. She was bipolar. Bulma pressed her forehead against Kakarot's as she closed her eyes in defeat. Part of her was grateful that she had finally found the reason behind her actions but the other part was screaming at her not to believe their lies. Bulma bit her trembling lip. She felt confused as to what she should do or believe. Bulma kind of liked the person she had been for the past couple of days, so why would she want to change that?

"Okay." Bulma whispered after a couple of minutes of silence and moved her face away from Kakarot's. His warm breath washing over her face wasn't helping anything.

Kakarot's hold on her face loosened until his hands dropped to his side. He smiled brightly at his friend, they all did well, except for Bardock but he looked like he was about to smile. Mrs Briefs sighed with relief that her daughter believed them.

"So are you going to let us help you?" Dr Briefs asked softly.

Much to their surprise, she silently nodded her head. Honestly, she didn't see the point in fighting them. There was no way that she would win. They would keep pushing and pushing until she either lost it completely or would be completely drained emotionally _and _physically. No, she was going to let them 'help' her even though Bulma believed that she didn't need help.

"Oh sweetie," Mrs Briefs smiled brightly at her daughter. "I am so happy that you're letting us help you."

"Whatever," Bulma mumbled. "So how are you going to _help _me?" She said the word help like it was a dirty and forbidden word.

Kakarot smirked. He knew Bulma hated anyone helping her, her pride would never allow it. However there were times when she pushed her pride aside and would let people help her. Sometimes he wished he could see the side of Bulma had seen three years ago again. She was so open, so carefree and so happy. He missed that. He missed that a lot.

"Well you would need to take a pill once a day." Dr Briefs informed his daughter. "Now this is very important Bulma because you _have _to take these tablets. They will stabilise your moods."

Bulma nodded as her father carried on explaining the use of different sorts of pills. She wasn't really paying attention to him, she felt so full of energy that she wanted to go out and release it. Bulma already knew about the different sorts of tablets and how she would have to experiment with different ones until she found the one that was right for her. She also already knew how many times she would have to take them and that she would be taking the pills long term.

"Okay," She said interrupting her dad as he got further and further into his detailed explanation. Bulma pulled the bed covers off of her body as she swung her legs around and hopped off of the bed. "I already know everything that there is to know about the tablets. So can you just hurry up and give me the damn pills so that I can go?"

Kakarot frowned, "Where are you thinking of going?"

Bulma smirked and slapped him lightly on the cheek twice, "Well wouldn't you like to know." She winked before bending over to put on her shoes.

His frown deepened. Had they not just discussed this? Had they not just decided that she was going to let them help her?

"If it bothers you that much Kakarot," Bulma smirked again as she stood up straight and fixed her hair, "Feel free to join us."

"Raditz has been told to stay away from you." Bardock frowned. He could sense his son's discomfort and he really didn't want Bulma to do anything she may regret.

Bulma spun around quickly and glared at Bardock before turning back to face Kakarot with an even fiercer glare. However, her glare was replaced by a smirk. She couldn't help but notice how they had seriously underestimated her. If she wanted to do something then she _will _do it. Those telling her that she can't only made her want to do it more.

"I don't understand why you are so against me living my life." Bulma frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"We're only looking out for you," Mrs Briefs smiled reassuringly. "You're not well, dear. Sleeping with Raditz may seem like a good idea, but it isn't."

"Why have _you_ slept with him?" Bulma chuckled as she ran her fingers through her hair. She ignored that looks of shock from her parents and the slight look of amusement from Bardock as she walked towards the door. "Whatever, I'm bored."

Kakarot walked forward a few steps until he was in front of her, "Where are you going?"

"Back to my rooms," Bulma replied innocently before smirking, "I'm sure Chi-Chi would understand if you wanted to join me."

Nobody answered her. Instead, they all looked at her like she had just lost her mind. Well technically, she kind of has but why should she let that spoil her fun? She was bipolar, not dying. Sure she knew it could be dangerous if it went untreated but honestly, she didn't care. She just wanted to have fun. Was that so much to ask?

"Come on," Bulma said with wide eyes and an annoyed expression. "I was just messing around! I know you would never want to sleep with me again, especially since you regret being with me the first time." There was a hint of bitterness in her tone as she spoke to him.

Mrs Briefs felt her heart break for her daughter. She knew how hard it was to be in love and for that person not to return the feelings. When she was around Bulma's age, she had fallen in love with a boy who wanted her for nothing more than sex. Now she wasn't saying that that was what Kakarot did, but, they both should have waited until they were older and knew for sure that they were ready.

She knew that her daughter would find someone special someday. She was just certain of it.

Kakarot frowned. "Bulma I never said that I regret being with you. I-"

"Whatever, Kakarot, I don't care." She rolled her eyes before pushing the door open.

"Wait, Bulma!" Dr Briefs called out to his daughter as she went to leave, "We need to give you your medicine."

Bulma groaned and rubbed the back of her neck as walked back over to her parents and Bardock, with Kakarot right on her heels. She felt like she couldn't breathe with all the attention they were giving her. She couldn't help but laugh at the thought that the second she showed any signs that she was having fun, they say she's crazy.

"It won't take long dear." Mrs Briefs smiled reassuringly at her daughter but frowned slightly when Bulma moved out of what was supposed to be a comforting gesture from Kakarot. He had only placed his hand on her shoulder yet she acted as though he had the plague.

She wasn't sure what was going on between them but she hoped they would sort it soon. They had always been the best of friends. Mrs Briefs even considered Kakarot as her son in some ways! Well, they were going to have to sort whatever was going on between them sooner or later, especially if they were travelling together.

"So what are you going to do after this?" Mrs Briefs asked once Dr Briefs and Bardock had both left the room.

Bulma shrugged. She had no idea. The blue haired human felt like she was just so full of energy yet there was nothing she could do about it. Her parents, Bardock and Kakarot had already made themselves clear about the things they don't want her to be doing. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Yeah, like they could tell her what to do. She was nineteen years old and could make her own decisions.

As though he could read her thoughts, Kakarot smirked. "We could train if you want?" He could sense Bulma's excess energy so he knew for a fact that she needed to release it somehow. Truthfully, he was only offering to train with her because he didn't want her to do anything she might regret later on. Like sleeping with someone she had no feelings for.

"Sure," Bulma shrugged again. "I need to start training again anyway it's been, what, three or four days?"

"Why haven't you been training?" Mrs Briefs gasped in shock and frowned at the two teenagers.

"There was an accident during one of Bulma's training sessions, but she's fine now."

Mrs Briefs nodded. She knew how dangerous and violent their sparring sessions were so she preferred not to ask or speak about them. She couldn't stand the thought of any harm coming to her baby girl but Mrs Briefs knew that all the training was necessary if she wanted to keep her safe.

"So do you think I'll be okay to train again?" Bulma smiled widely at Kakarot.

He returned her smile. He hadn't seen her so excited and happy to train in years. Kakarot knew it was only because of her illness but it still made him happy. He loved seeing her smile. "Yeah," He nodded, "Just no surprise attacks like the one you pulled on Raditz." He chuckled.

"You were training with Raditz?!" Her mother screeched as she ran over to her daughter to check for any scars or bruises. "Don't you know how dangerous he is? Kakarot! How could you let her spar with your brother? He was a member of Frieza's army. He could have hurt my baby girl." She yelled as tears started to fall from her eyes.

"Mom," Bulma whined as she pulled out of her mother's death grip. "It was my idea to train with Raditz. He knows different techniques that could be beneficial to me and he could really help me in the long run. Raditz would never hurt me and it's good to be able to train with someone other than Kakarot. It's not nice to know that people are holding back whilst they're sparring against you so that they don't accidentally kill you." Bulma frowned and folded her arms over her chest.

Kakarot chuckled. He always lowered his power level so that it was only a little higher than Bulma's. It was low enough for him to not do any serious harm to her but at the same time it was still a challenge for her. Bulma had argued with him on more than one occasion that she would never learn how to escape stronger enemies if he kept training her with his power level so close to her own, but he would shrug and say that it was necessary.

Bulma turned her head and looked at Kakarot, "Yes I will train with you. But don't you dare hold back on me!"

O.o.O

She clutched her knees as she panted for air.

She straightened up and as her eyes scanned the oversized training room when she felt the air stir behind her. Bulma quickly spun around and caught the knee that was aimed for her stomach. She knew it was a mistake to use two hands to block his knee when she was knocked to the ground by a punch to the face. It wasn't hard enough to draw blood, but it would still bruise.

Bulma growled loudly as she flew forward and went on the offensive. As she threw punch after punch with Kakarot blocking each and every one of them, the two slowly started to take off from the ground and into the air.

Finally having enough and whilst distracting him with a punch aimed for his jaw, Bulma kneed him in the gut and whilst he was doubled over, she hit him in the back, causing him to crash back down to the ground.

She knew she hadn't hurt him. Not in the slightest.

Bulma walked over to where Kakarot was led. She couldn't understand why he wasn't moving but realised as soon as she was standing over him that he had tricked her.

Kakarot knocked Bulma's legs out from under her and was quick to straddle her waist.

"Well this brings back memories," Bulma smirked but the second her sentence had left her mouth, Kakarot jumped off of her like she had a disease and her smirk faltered.

Bulma frowned. What she had said was only a joke but his reaction hurt her more than what she could actually understand.

Why had he reacted like that? Was there something wrong with her? Bulma looked up at the now clear view of the ceiling and sighed. As she looked back to Kakarot, he extended a hand to help her up but she ignored it and got up by herself. The two stared at each other in an awkward silence for a few minutes before Bulma scoffed, shook her head and left the training room. She ignored Kakarot as he called after her and prayed to the Gods that he would just leave her alone and not follow her. Bulma ran her fingers through her hair as she tried to reign in her anger and hurt.

Her day had been, not exactly perfect, but bearable until just then. Sure, she had been diagnosed bipolar and was supposed to take pills every day for most likely the rest of her life, but seeing that look in his eyes and having him jump away like she had some sort of disease made her feel disgusting. It made her feel completely worthless and pathetic.

She couldn't stop the thoughts and questions that assaulted her mind. Did he really find her that repulsive that the very thought of touching her or the memories of touching her made him sick? Was it because she was bipolar? Did he find her ugly, unattractive, pathetic, disgusting and worthless? She knew she did.

Trying to keep her empty expression as she stormed through the almost empty hallways of the ship was becoming impossible. She felt like she was just going to break down at any second. Her breathing came heavier as she heard footsteps behind her. Bulma willed with everything inside of her for whatever she was hearing to just go away. She quickly spun around to see that there was, in fact, nobody behind her. But that didn't calm her racing heart or breathing.

When she reached her room, she almost slammed through the door in a pathetic attempt to get into the safety of her home without being attacked. Almost subconsciously, Bulma's hand trailed down to her pocket and once her hand was in her pocket, she pulled out a small pill and simply stared at it. She had pretended to her family that she took it. Bulma had placed it in her mouth and hidden it under her tongue until she was in the clear. Then she took it out of her mouth and shoved it into her pocket.

Bulma didn't want to have to take pills. She didn't want to have to rely on some pill to keep her emotions balanced. Sure, she knew the danger if she didn't take them, but to her, it would be worth it. Just because she was taking some pill, it didn't mean that she wouldn't die of another cause tomorrow, or next week, or even next year! She wanted to live her life to the full without having to take medicine.

She just wanted to be happy. She wanted to be and feel loved. She wanted someone to hold her, protect her and cherish her.

Who would want to love her if she was some crazy bitch who had to take medicine to keep her emotions in check? Who would want to have to deal with someone like her? Who would want to be with someone who was pathetic, ugly, worthless and disgusting? Kakarot sure as hell didn't.

Bulma closed her fist around the small tablet and squeezed. As she opened her hand and tilted it slightly, the remains of the pill fell from her hand like the sand in an hour glass.

O.o.O

For the rest of the day, Bulma avoided Kakarot. She was grateful that she had remembered to lock her door this time because an hour after she had returned early from training, Kakarot was at her door.

At first, he just stood there silently. But after what felt like a couple of hours but actually turned out to be no more than a couple of minutes, he hesitantly knocked on her door and when she wouldn't answer, he tried to open it. For the first time since she had moved into her small yet comfortable home, she had locked her door and refused him entry. It hurt. Never had she ever locked him out or refused to speak to him. It felt like somebody had thrown ice cold water over him.

She had done well with trying to avoid him. That was, until it was time for dinner and her mother wanted her to join her and her father and even though she wasn't that hungry, she couldn't say no to her. Mrs Briefs was desperately trying to reach out to her daughter and Bulma could see that.

So here she was again, sitting at another uncomfortable dinner like she had the night before. Only this time, Gohan was joining them. When the three had arrived the night before, it had been too late for him to join them and when he woke up to find his father was home, he was upset that he wasn't there to greet him.

Nobody told him that it was for the best that he wasn't there. Nobody told him how Bulma had gone to attack his mother and ended up attacking his father until she eventually broke down. They all thought it was best that way since he was only two years old. Well, Chi-Chi, Kakarot, Bardock and Bulma's parents did. Honestly, Bulma, Turles and Raditz couldn't care less. But even for a two year old, the kid was smart. He could sense the tension in the air just like the other Saiyans could. But also like the others, he didn't say anything about it.

"So how are you feeling sweetie?" Mrs Briefs smiled at her daughter.

"Fine," Bulma muttered as she stabbed her fork into her steak with unnecessary force.

She really wasn't hungry but for her mother and also to keep up the illusion that she was taking her medication, she forced the food down her throat despite it being ridiculously difficult to swallow.

Nobody questioned Bulma's bad mood. They wanted to keep the peace. Even Chi-Chi was quiet and not giving Bulma as much as a hard time as she usually did, but that was only because Gohan was sat in between her and Kakarot.

The only people who knew why Bulma was in such a mood was Kakarot, herself and Chi-Chi and she only knew because of the connection between her and Kakarot's minds. Bulma really hated the link in their minds. It made nothing secret. Sure, she knew that if Kakarot wanted he could hide stuff from Chi-Chi, but how was she to know when he was doing that? How was she to know that he wasn't trying to pull her secrets out of her so that he and Chi-Chi could laugh at her? She only had one secret that Kakarot didn't know about and it was that she wasn't taking her medication.

When Bulma had decided that she could no longer force anymore food down, she put her knife and fork down on her plate and just stared at her hands as she rubbed her thumb against her fingerless glove on other hand. As soon as she had received her pills, she went to get changed for her training session with Kakarot and was still wearing her usual spandex suit. She could sense her parents' worried glances at her lack of appetite but she simply raised her head and smiled at them. Bulma could tell that they weren't convinced by her smile as the concern in their eyes grew.

"How about we have a movie night, Bulma?" Mrs Briefs tried to start another conversation. "You can choose the movie."

Bulma could tell her mother was trying hard because she was hardly ever allowed to choose the movie. All the movies Bulma watched were horrors or supernatural and her mother preferred romance. Her father didn't mind the supernatural genre but he mostly preferred sci-fi.

"Whatever."

Her voice surprised her. Did she really sound like that? Her voice sounded completely defeated and hopeless. It was like she had nothing left. She refrained from smiling. How could she have nothing left, when she had nothing to begin with in the first place?

"Wonderful!" Mrs Briefs smiled happily as she let her excitement get the better of her. "We could make a night of it! Would you all like to join us?" She asked, referring to the Saiyans and Chi-Chi.

Bulma didn't say anything but she silently prayed that they wouldn't join them, especially Kakarot, Chi-Chi and Gohan. She was still feeling down about what happened earlier and she didn't need any reminders of what she could never have. Of course she knew that none of this was Gohan's fault, but she still felt jealous and a pang of loneliness and sadness in her heart whenever she saw the young boy. Bulma thought that it was such a shame too, since he seemed like a bright kid.

As though he could read her mind, Kakarot said, "Actually Chi-Chi, Gohan and I are going to spend a night in. I don't know how long I'll be back for and it's been so long since I last saw them."

Turles rolled his eyes at his nephew's sentimentality.

Mrs Briefs nodded and didn't miss how her daughter visibly relaxed and released a silent sigh of relief. "I understand." She smiled, "What about the rest of you?"

"No." Was all Turles said.

"I'm sorry," Bardock said, "But I have a lot to do and I need to focus on the Prince and Frieza's decisions. We can't afford to let any of them slip through."

Again, Mrs Briefs nodded her understanding but then turned to Raditz, who still hadn't spoken up. Honestly, she wasn't sure if inviting him was such a good idea. But if her daughter was taking her medication now, then was nothing to worry about, right?

"Sure." Raditz shrugged.

He didn't really mind their movie nights and at least it beat sitting in his room or training alone. The other members of the Rebellion Army were still unsure about him and he was tired of having to have his father or uncle or even his younger brother following him around in case of any surprise attacks.

Mrs Briefs smiled brightly again, "Great! Well, I'll go and get you all some snacks before the movie starts. We can't have a movie night without snacks."

Bulma was starting to regret saying yes. Well technically, she said 'whatever' but to her mother, that counted as a yes. Bulma gulped down the rest of her wine and stood up to go to the home cinema room.

"Where are you going sweetie?" Mrs Briefs asked.

"To choose a movie," Was all she said as she left the room.

When they were certain that she was gone and out of ear shot, Mrs Briefs turned to her husband, silently telling him about her concern for their daughter with her eyes.

"Don't worry," Dr Briefs said as he rested a hand over his wife's. "We're still experimenting with her medication."

"I'm sure it's only a side effect." Bardock added. "She won't be used to the medication just yet. This could just be her mind and body adjusting."

Mrs Briefs nodded and then smiled again, "Kakarot, will you be a dear and help me take these dishes to the kitchen?"

Kakarot stood up immediately to help her. Ever since he was a child, she had been like a second mother to him. Hell, she even bathed him when he was younger! He smiled at the memory of Bulma yelling and screaming at him to take a bath and Mrs Briefs bathing him like his mother used to. As he entered the kitchen with a pile of dishes way above his head, Mrs Briefs was stood by the sink, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently.

"Is something wrong?" Kakarot asked as he placed the dishes into the dish washer.

"What's wrong with Bulma?" She asked in a strong and firm voice. "I know it's not her medication. She's upset about something. Do you know what it is?"

Kakarot nodded before telling Mrs Briefs the whole story.

O.o.O

Bulma sat down in one of the many seats in front of the large screen. She had already chosen her movie, she chose 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'. Bulma didn't think the movie was scary, but the thought of someone being able to kill you in your dreams whilst you're sleeping sent shivers up her spine. Bulma just hoped that Frieza never sees her DVD collection. Who knows what sort of psychotic ideas he'd get.

When Bulma felt the sofa sink a little next to her, she was surprised to see Raditz there, staring at the menu on the screen. They hadn't really spoken since last night and Bulma could feel her heart thumping louder at his closeness. She closed her eyes. No. Not here and not now. She couldn't show any signs that she wasn't taking her medication. Who knows what they'll do to her if they found out. Bulma took a deep breath.

"I apologise for taking advantage of you." Raditz mumbled but he still wasn't looking at her.

She knew how much it must be killing him to apologise to her and she couldn't help but smile a little. "You didn't take advantage of me." She shrugged, "_I_ wanted to fuck _you_ and _I _was the one that said that I didn't want anything more than sex. You were just doing what any other male would do."

Raditz swallowed loudly at her choice of words. He hadn't missed the way the word 'fuck' sounded a lot dirtier and more arousing when she said it. "But still, I shouldn't have let you."

"Why?" Bulma asked as he finally caught her eye and she couldn't help the hard lump that formed in her throat at her next question. "Do you think I'm disgusting and worthless too?"

He looked confused as he stared back at her. He could see her sadness but he couldn't understand why it was there. "Why would you say something like that?"

"Do you?" She pushed as she closed her eyes.

"No." He answered honestly and Bulma's eyes snapped open to see if he was lying. "I don't know why you're thinking those things although I have a pretty good idea, but you're not disgusting or worthless."

"Kakarot seems to think so." She mumbled as she turned away but her face was caught in a strong hand and she was forced to look back at Raditz, meeting his gaze.

"My brother is a fool for choosing her over you. She is no fighter and the only thing about her that resembles a Saiyan is her dark hair and dark eyes. Besides that, she is a pathetic weakling who is good for nothing other than cooking. You may not look like a Saiyan, but you have the strength, feistiness and temper of a true Saiyan."

Bulma smiled slightly. She could tell that she didn't have feelings for Raditz, but he did know how to make her feel better. '_Maybe he could make me feel better in more ways than one…' _she thought to herself. But before anything could happen, Raditz had let go of her face and turned towards the TV and not a second later, her parents walked into the home cinema.

"It's such a shame nobody else wanted to join us." Mrs Briefs said as she placed the large piles of snacks onto a small table in front of them. "So Bulma, what movie did you pick?"

"Nightmare on Elm Street," Her tone was back to the way it was before Raditz started talking to her.

"Oh," Mrs Briefs frowned for a second before her usual bright smile lit up her face. "Is that the film with Johnny Depp? If I wasn't a married woman…" She giggled.

Bulma rolled her eyes at her mother before leaning back into the sofa and zoning her out.

Just like the cinema on Earth, the lights dimmed down as the movie started. Before they left Earth, Bulma and her parents had gone to the cinema at least twice a month. She would always remember the sweet smell of popcorn and the sticky floors as she walked along the aisles to her seat. It wasn't like that in her parents' home cinema though. Just like every other room in their home, Mrs Briefs made sure to keep it immaculate. It did have the sweet cinema styled popcorn smell though and Bulma loved it.

She had to refrain from chuckling at her mother's reactions to the death scenes. Mrs Briefs would yelp an "oh my" and hide behind her husband's arm. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Raditz also trying not to laugh at her mother's reactions.

Halfway through the film, Bulma's focus started to drift off. Her mind kept replaying what happened with Kakarot over and over again, going over any possible reason as to why he reacted to a joke in such a harsh way. So far, she had three guesses. The first was Chi-Chi. Perhaps he had to jump away because Chi-Chi was watching through their bond and he didn't want to upset her? But that still didn't make it better because he still upset Bulma. The second was temptation. What Bulma had said to Chi-Chi the other day about how Kakarot had to hold so much back during sex must not be satisfying, might actually be true? Perhaps he felt himself being tempted. Lastly, maybe Kakarot really did find her disgusting and worthless.

"Bulma, honey, are you alright?" Mrs Briefs asked. "Was the movie too gory?"

Bulma was shocked and surprised at how close her mother was to her. There were no more than a couple of inches in between them and she was feeling her forehead. Bulma gently swatted her mother's hand away and looked at the screen to see that the movie had finished. Well damn. She hadn't realised that she had been thinking for so long. Once Mrs Briefs stood up, Bulma could see her father right behind her mother and Raditz still next to her. Why was he still here?

"Are you okay to go home or would you like to stay in your old room for tonight?" Dr Briefs asked as he too, felt Bulma's forehead.

"I'm fine," Bulma said, "I just zoned out."

"You must just be tired. It's been such a long day for you." Mrs Briefs smiled. "We were just about to walk Raditz back to his room. The others are still wary of him. I just wish they would see that you're not a bad person." She said sadly as she looked over to Raditz.

"His room is on the way to mine," Bulma said with an empty voice and matching facial features, she shrugged, "I'll walk with him."

Her parents looked as though they were about to argue but Bulma had already left the room. She could sense Raditz a couple of steps behind her, but she willed herself to ignore him. She tried to ignore the way her stomach was growing warm and she tried to ignore the memories of the things that had happened not too long ago. She couldn't risk them finding out that she was onto them.

As she passed his room, Bulma turned, said goodnight and then left.

* * *

**A/N - This chapter was actually really hard to write and took me _ages. _It was also supposed to be three different chapters but I merged them together because I think you're all starting to hate me because Vegeta still isn't in the story... Haha.**

**Anyways for those of you who keep asking, there _is_ a reason why Kakarot/Goku keeps acting the way he does with Bulma, but again you'll have to keep reading to find out! **

**So Bulma isn't taking her tablets... hmmm. Yeah, I wasn't sure if I should just have her magically 'get better' or not because her being bipolar is one of the main things in this story as well as her relationships. If she was to just willingly take her medication and accept being bipolar, the story would probably be over and believe me, there's like another ten/twelve chapters. Well, I'm ten/twelve chapters ahead, but that doesn't mean it'll end then... or does it? I actually don't know. **

**Oh and as for Bulma's relationship with Raditz... There are no feelings there, it's just physical and honestly, you can't expect Vegeta to be a monk or whatever it is they're called. Vegeta will have obviously been with other women just like Bulma has been with other men. Again, let me just say this, at least it isn't Yamcha. Ugh, I can't stand Yamcha. **

**Thank you 'kafeisan' for your lovely review. Not. How is the reason I gave not valid? It's my story so I'll do whatever I like with it. Give up with my story, I don't care especially if you're going to be sending me reviews like that. Bulma's condition isn't something that only takes four chapters, have you never heard of bipolar? It's a serious illness and not something to be taken lightly. If you don't like my story, don't read it because I honestly could not care less about your opinion. **

**I didn't get as many flames as I did in the previous chapter and I'm honestly happy that I didn't. I wouldn't have posted something like what I just did, but to be honest, I haven't been sleeping well and I'm in a really bad mood so yeah... Don't expect me not to snap at you if you say something like that, especially if you're on a guest account and think that I won't reply. **

**Anyways, thank you to all the compliments and nice reviews I've been getting! They honestly make my day.**

_**Preview For The Next Chapter:**_

_She couldn't sleep. _

_For some reason, Bulma found herself feeling guilty about what had happened between her and Kakarot. He had only tried to be nice and she went and threw it all back in his face. Bulma knew he was married now and that she shouldn't be making jokes such as the one she made but she couldn't help it. It was just her sense of humour, but that didn't stop her from feeling guilty. He was her best friend, the one person she could trust the most and she had gone and thrown it all away. But then again, it didn't help that he wouldn't let her live her life. It wasn't up to him who she slept with and it certainly wasn't up to him to choose who is or is not worthy to be with her._

_She looked up at her ceiling as she thought about ways to pass time._

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	10. New Mission

**Chapter 10 – New Mission**

She couldn't sleep.

No matter what position she laid in and no matter how hard she tried she just could not sleep. Bulma sighed as she sat up. There was way too much on her mind and she was too restless. Bulma rubbed her aching temples. She could already feel a headache coming.

For some reason, Bulma found herself feeling guilty about what had happened between her and Kakarot. He had only tried to be nice and she went and threw it all back in his face. Bulma knew he was married now and that she shouldn't be making jokes such as the one she made but she couldn't help it. It was just her sense of humour, but that didn't stop her from feeling guilty. He was her best friend, the one person she could trust the most and she had gone and thrown it all away. But then again, it didn't help that he wouldn't let her live her life. It wasn't up to him who she slept with and it certainly wasn't up to him to choose who is or is not worthy to be with her.

She looked up at her ceiling as she thought about ways to pass time.

A smirk graced her lips as a certain thought crossed her mind and Bulma was quick to get out of bed and leave her rooms. Before she left, Bulma lowered her ki to almost non-existent so that no one would notice where she was or where she would be going. The last thing she wanted was for someone to interrupt again. She needed release and she needed it _now._

Excitement almost got the better of her as Bulma went to kick the door down but right at the last moment, she instead settled on a quiet, polite knock. She hoped that she wouldn't wake anyone other than Raditz up. However, thanks to his reputation as being a part of the ruthless last Saiyan squadron, Raditz's room was in a corridor where there were barely any other people. They had all requested that they didn't have him move in next to them.

When Raditz's door opened, Bulma smirked at his tired, just-got-out-of-bed look.

"Bulma?" Raditz's eyes widened when he noticed who it was.

He hadn't expected anyone to come to his room during the night. So seeing Bulma of all people, standing outside his door with a smirk on her face and in what appeared to be only a nightshirt on was definitely a surprise.

"Did I wake you?" Bulma asked innocently as eyed his shirtless state and took a step forward. Right at that moment, his muscles appeared to be even more appealing to her and she wondered what they would feel like against her.

Raditz quickly shook his head as he opened the door even further to allow her entry. Bulma smiled up at him as she walked into his room and was shocked to find that his room only had the bare essentials.

"Didn't you receive anything else when you moved in?" Bulma asked as she looked around.

"Living on Frieza's ship taught me that you don't need anything other than the necessities." He shrugged as he shut the door behind him and walked into his kitchen "So why're you here?" Raditz asked as he grabbed two glasses and filled them with water.

The two of them sat on his sofa and sipped at their drinks for a couple of minutes before Bulma finally decided to answer. "I was thinking…" She trailed off, leaving her sentence unfinished.

Raditz raised an eyebrow as he placed his glass onto the coffee table. "Thinking about what?"

"About what happened between us," Bulma said as she too, placed her glass down onto the coffee table and turned to face him.

"Bulma… I…" He didn't know what to say. Raditz had been told not to touch the girl, but when she turned up in the middle of the night, dressed in just a nightshirt and her lacy underwear (he could see now them because she was sat down), would you turn her down? He didn't even know if it was possible to turn her down!

Bulma frowned as she stood up, feeling rather foolish of herself. "Forget it. I can tell by the look on your face that you don't want to."

Being rejected or just the thought of being rejected by Raditz hurt her more than she ever thought it would. She remembered his words about feeling like he was taking advantage of her, but Bulma didn't want to mention it in case she came across as desperate. Bipolar or not, she still had her pride and refused to beg for sex. But as she shot Raditz one last look, it was like her body was saying other things.

She needed some release.

Just as Bulma was about to leave, a hand grabbed her wrist and she was pulled down onto Raditz's lap. A smirk graced her lips once again as she looked into his eyes and saw that she was going to get exactly what she wanted.

Before anything else could be said, Bulma crushed her lips against Raditz's in a hungry kiss as he started to work on the buttons of her nightshirt. She dropped her arms when she felt Raditz pulling the shirt away and as soon as she was free of it, Bulma closed the distance between their bare chests as she deepened the kiss.

As he ran his fingers through her hair and moved his kisses to her neck, Bulma shivered with want. The feeling of being wanted returned to her and she relished in the feeling and attention she was receiving. Bulma pulled away from Raditz and smirked at the lusty gaze in his eyes as she stood up. She grabbed his hand and pulled him with her as she made her way to his bedroom. Just when she was about to reach his bedroom door, Raditz took control and spun her around to kiss her once again. Bulma moaned into the kiss and was surprised when she felt her back hit the bed, but decided that she didn't care how or when she even entered his bedroom.

Bulma lifted her hips off of the bed when she felt Raditz impatiently pulling her underwear off. When he once again closed the distance between them, Bulma sighed with pleasure when she felt that she wasn't the only one who was naked and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Her sighs turned into moans as Raditz entered her. It took her a moment to adjust (it _had_ been three years since she last slept with someone after all), but soon Bulma was ready and started to meet his thrusts with her own.

With every demand she gave him, Raditz made his thrusts harder and faster. Bulma threw her head back as moans tore from her throat.

As he felt her walls clamp down on him, Raditz lifted Bulma up, turned her around and bent her over the edge of his bed. Her moans turned into screams as Raditz started to hit the spot that gave her the most pleasure. Bulma gripped hold of his bed sheets for what seemed like dear life whilst Raditz gripped a tighter hold of her hips as he slammed into her. His groans joined Bulma's moans and screams as they both fell over the edge.

Feeling completely exhausted, Raditz pulled out of her and was about to say something when he saw her eyes beginning to droop as well as her knees slowly making their way to his floor. The sight of her completely worn out was almost enough to make him smirk at the fact that _he_ was the one who had tired her out. Thinking nothing of it, Raditz picked Bulma up and led her down on her back on the bed before joining her in sleep.

O.o.O

Her eyes snapped open as she heard a low rumble from beside her. Slowly, Bulma turned her head to the side and when she saw Raditz, her eyes widened. She couldn't remember falling asleep but as she started to wake up fully, Bulma could tell that she hadn't slept long.

Bulma pulled back the covers as she climbed out of bed and got dressed quickly before silently walking out of Raditz's room and into her own. The walk to her rooms had her heart racing in her chest as she darted through the hallways. The last thing she needed was to be seen, especially by someone who had a keen sense of smell and would be able to smell Raditz on her.

As soon as Bulma entered her rooms, she quickly locked her door and walked straight into her bathroom. She didn't regret what had happened not so long ago, but she couldn't risk Kakarot or anyone else smelling Raditz's scent on her.

Perhaps a hot bath would also help her relax a little. She sighed as she stepped into the hot water and slowly lowered herself until the bubbles were above her breast. Bulma stayed in the bath until the hot water started to turn cold. After she had finished washing her hair and body, she climbed out of the tub and dried her body with a white fluffy towel.

Whilst getting dressed into her usual black spandex, Bulma decided that she would go and speak to Kakarot and apologise. She just felt so bad and guilty about the way she had been treating him the past couple of days.

When Bulma looked at the time, she saw that it was half four in the morning. She shrugged as she pulled her hair away from her face and did her makeup, taking more care with her eyeliner and mascara than she had done the past few days. Also, Bulma made sure that she wasn't patchy in any places and that she hadn't put too much foundation on. When she had done her makeup, she released her hair from the clip and watched as it fell in what seemed like slow motion to her. Bulma wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her hair and after about twenty minutes of nothing but staring, she decided on just leaving it down and messy.

It was now well past six in the morning and Bulma knew for a fact that Kakarot would be training. She pulled on her white boots and white fingerless gloves and stared at the medicine on the side of her table. After a couple of minutes of staring, Bulma grabbed the box and pulled one of the small tablets out of the packet. She dumped the box back onto the side and walked into her kitchen where she crushed the pill in her hand and dropped the remains into the sink. After washing down any traces of the medicine, she left her rooms to go and find Kakarot.

Bulma wasn't surprised when she found him in the training rooms. In fact, she was grateful. At this time, no one else was really around apart from the odd guard who was on night watch. She frowned before finally opening the door. As she silently walked over to him, she didn't make eye contact. Bulma could sense that he had stopped his training and was looking at her but as she finally stopped walking and stood in front of him, she had no idea what to say. She simply stood there, not looking at him and not talking.

Maybe he didn't want or care for her apology. Maybe that was why he wasn't saying anything and just staring at her. She couldn't see his expression and she didn't want to. Bulma wasn't sure as to what she would see on his face, but she wasn't willing to risk it.

Finally, she took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. She saw that he was looking at her with confusion written all over his face. Bulma frowned as she tried to find the words to say but again, she couldn't think of anything. She simply stood there, trying to tell him that she was sorry. Bulma frowned once again, "Kakarot, I'm-"

"I know," He smiled softly.

"Do you?" She asked as she raised one eyebrow at him. What did he know? Did he find out about her sleeping with Raditz? Bulma's eyes widened a fraction and she looked to the ground to hide her guilty eyes. Would he hate her now?

"Yeah," He smiled more genuinely this time.

Just as Bulma was about to ask what exactly did he know, the doors to the training room swung open and Bardock came rushing in. Bulma turned around to look at him and didn't miss the silent exchange between him and Kakarot. Bulma inwardly frowned but kept her emotions and facial expressions guarded as Bardock made his way over to them.

"I have news on the Prince," Bardock said, "In two days he will be sent to a planet named Narmeldo and it will take him seven months to get there."

Kakarot frowned, "And how long will it take us to get there?"

"About six months." Bardock said as he looked between Bulma and Kakarot.

It wouldn't be the longest amount of time that they had been away on a mission for, but it was still quite a long time, especially for Kakarot. He would miss Chi-Chi and Gohan. All together, they would be gone for an entire year. It annoyed him, but at least this time they had a much better chance of getting to Vegeta before he destroyed the planet Narmeldo and all of its inhabitants.

Bulma wasn't really bothered about how long she would be away from headquarters. Honestly, she couldn't wait. She hated being at the headquarters ship for too long. The longer she was there, the more times she saw Kakarot with his family and she would be reminded again about the things she didn't have. The only thing that bothered her was how much harder it was going to be to pretend that she was taking her medication. Kakarot would surely notice her putting white powder down the sink every day.

"Also, it is not only Prince Vegeta and Nappa who will be going on the mission." Bulma's heart stopped at the look on Bardock's face.

She didn't want to know the answer, but she had to ask. "Who else is going?"

"Zarbon and Dodoria."

O.o.O

It wasn't only Bulma and Kakarot going on the mission, Raditz was also coming along. Bulma saw the look on Chi-Chi's face when she heard that Kakarot wouldn't be left alone with Bulma for a whole year. She couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes at the look of relief on her face as they waited for their ship to be fully stocked up with over five years' supply of food and other necessities. If they really did pick up Nappa and Vegeta, they would need as much food as they could get.

They were leaving straight away so that there wouldn't be any chance of missing Vegeta. Bulma could see that Kakarot couldn't wait until they finally found the Saiyan Prince and she couldn't help but feel slightly hurt. Did he not like travelling with her or going on missions with her? Bulma shook the thoughts from her head. She didn't care. The sooner all of this was over, the better.

Bulma's mother was hugging her tightly as though she would never see her daughter again and was also making sure that Bulma had all the medication along with other things that she may need.

"Are you sure you'll have enough for a whole year, sweetie?" Mrs Briefs asked as she raised an eyebrow and nodded once.

Bulma raised one eyebrow at her mother. She was standing in front of Kakarot and Raditz as though they were flanking her and honestly had no idea what her mother was talking about. Her mother bounced over to her and whispered "tampons" in her ear. Bulma's eyes widened and she quickly nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kakarot tense slightly with nervousness. It made her roll her eyes. The first time she had ever started her period, she had been about to start her training session with him.

**FLASHBACK **

_Bulma had only just dropped into her fighting stance when she noticed that Kakarot was looking at her strangely. She frowned as she stood up straight again. She didn't like the way he was looking at her. Self-consciously, Bulma pulled at her gloves and looked away from his staring._

"_Are you okay?" She heard him ask and was surprised to see him standing close to her, leaving no more than a few inches between them. Her eyes widened at the sudden closeness and Bulma immediately took a wary step back._

"_Yes of course I am, why?" Her discomfort was obvious._

_Kakarot circled her, as though he was assessing her body. Bulma glared at him and folded her arms over her chest. "I can smell blood on you." _

_Bulma's arms dropped and her eyes widened. "What?" She all but yelled as she looked herself over for any signs of blood. It wasn't until she looked down at her legs did she feel the pain. It felt like her insides were all clamping together. _

_As though he could sense or feel her pain, Kakarot picked her up bridal style and quickly ran into his father's and Dr Briefs's lab/medical bay. As he barged into the room with a worried look in his eyes, both of their fathers immediately jumped up, looking just as worried as Kakarot did. _

"_What happened?" Dr Briefs asked as he went to grab his daughter out of Kakarot's arms. _

_During the exchange, Kakarot felt something warm on his hand. He frowned as he looked down at his hand and saw the blood. He snatched Bulma from Dr Briefs's arms and placed her down onto a table. Kakarot looked over at his father but was surprised to see that he wasn't worried. In fact, he looked like he was trying not to laugh or smirk. Kakarot frowned. What was so funny about Bulma bleeding? She could be bleeding to death! She could die right here and right now, right in front of their eyes! Why was his father smirking and looking as though he was about to laugh?_

_Bulma hadn't said a word as she tried to find out where she was bleeding from. Then realisation dawned on her._

_She had just started her period. _

_Her eyes widened and she immediately blushed with embarrassment when she saw some blood on Kakarot's hand. She had no idea when he touched her _there_ but she felt slightly disgusted that he had her period on his hand. She frowned and slapped her hand against her forehead, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. Bulma looked at Kakarot with a slight blush on her cheeks, "Kakarot, go and wash your hands." _

"_What? Why?" _

"_Because you have my blood on them," She said it as though it was obvious. _

_Kakarot was confused but did as she said. When he saw that she wasn't concerned about bleeding to death, he relaxed slightly. _

"_Dad, can you call mom down here?" She asked quietly. Bulma refused to move from her place on the table for she knew it would have her blood on it. She couldn't help but ask the Gods' why they would put her in such an embarrassing situation. _

"_Bulma what's going on?" Kakarot asked worriedly as he went to pick her up again, "Why are you bleeding?"_

"_Kakarot!" Bulma screeched as he picked her up. _

_It was too late; he had already seen the blood and Bulma's face flushed with her embarrassment, especially when he looked at her with frantic eyes. _

"_Bulma, you're bleeding!" He said as he turned her around to check her for signs of blood once again. _

_Bulma slapped his hands away when he went to look at her legs for any signs of the blood he could see on the table. "Kakarot, will you stop? I'm fine!" _

"_But you're bleeding!" He said desperately. If it hadn't of been for her embarrassing situation, she would have smiled at the care and worry that she could see in his eyes. _

"_It's normal," Bulma said comfortingly and then sighed when her mother finally came running into the room with a small box and a spare change of clothes._

"_How can bleeding be normal?" He asked innocently as he stood up straight and cocked his head to the side._

_Bulma once again, smacked herself on the forehead. She watched gratefully as her mother shooed everyone out of the room so she could speak to her daughter about the 'wonders of womanhood'. _

**END OF FLASHBACK **

Bulma rolled her eyes once again at the memory. Kakarot had bugged her for days saying that he could still smell her blood and that he was worried. Eventually, she had gotten more than annoyed with his constant hassling and told him about how on Earth, females bled once a month and that it was completely normal. When he kept going on and on asking how bleeding was normal, she told him to go and ask her mother or to go and ask his father.

Kakarot didn't mention smelling blood on her again.

She wasn't embarrassed anymore about having her period. She knew that it was a completely natural thing. In fact, she was actually pretty happy when she got her period because not too long afterwards, her body started to slowly fill out and now, she had the perfect figure with curves in all the right places. The only thing that bugged her was that the Saiyans as well as anyone else who had a good sense of smell could smell her.

Bulma smiled and hugged her parents one last time before stepping onto the ship. She sat down and strapped herself in and waited for Kakarot and Raditz to both strap themselves in. When they were done, she closed the doors and took off without saying a word.

After the course had been set, Bulma went to go and unpack her stuff. She honestly had no idea what she was going to do for the next year so she had packed anything and everything. She knew that Kakarot would make her train a lot during their travels but she had still packed other things. When she had done unpacking, she left her room to go and make a start on dinner.

O.o.O

Bulma knew that travelling for six months was going to be boring, but this really did take the piss. It had only been five months and she was already bored out of her mind. She had trained for most of that time and drew some designs. She hadn't gotten around to actually making her new projects since she needed some parts so it was a good job they would be landing on a planet that was practically one large shopping mall in less than an hour.

They needed more fuel for the ship since it was going to be a very long journey so Bulma decided to go out and buy some of the parts she needed. Even though he hated shopping, Kakarot had agreed to go with her as well as Raditz. Kakarot didn't want her to go out on her own in such a busy place where there could be someone waiting to attack her. It was no secret that Bulma was a very beautiful girl and you never know just who you might bump into.

When they landed and had left the ship, Bulma noticed how some of the natives ran and hid whilst others moved out of the way of them and looked genuinely scared of their presence. Bulma looked up and behind her to Raditz only to see him smirk at her. She chuckled as she shook her head, earning the attention of Kakarot, she simply indicated to Raditz with her head. The two Saiyans were flanking her as she walked through the streets that were filled with different stalls and shops. Bulma looked carefully at each stall before she walked over to them, she didn't want to unnecessarily scare the person who owned the stall or shop. It didn't surprise her that they found both Raditz _and _Kakarot intimidating. They were both very tall and very muscular men and it also didn't help that they were both Saiyans.

As soon as they had found the parts she would need and refilled their ship with fuel, they left the planet.

O.o.O

Whilst they had been travelling, Kakarot had been training Bulma for five to six hours for six days a week. Bulma had never felt so sore in her entire life. It was like her muscles were aching and burning yet he just kept pushing her further and harder. It didn't help that she wasn't taking her medication either. Some days she would feel as though she had no energy whatsoever and to keep up her act, she would have to push herself.

Bulma fell face down onto the sofa and groaned as the pain in her muscles seemed to increase. When she heard both Raditz and Kakarot chuckling, she groaned again. She didn't even dare to move one inch – it hurt too much.

"Kakarot," Bulma groaned and then forced herself to turn over so that she was lying on her back. She got a painful sensation that she usually felt whenever she was sat in the same position for too long and it made her arch her back slightly and frown. Bulma had never felt so uncomfortable in her entire life. "I'm going to have to take a week or two off of training."

Kakarot stopped chuckling at the sight and also frowned, "You can't Bulma, not if both Zarbon and Dodoria are going to be on the planet."

"I'm not going to be any good in a fight if I'm in this much pain, Kakarot." Bulma snapped. She could barely even move.

Bulma slowly lifted her arm above her head to grab a long sofa cushion and then placed it where her back curved. It didn't help much but it did ease some of the tension since she didn't have to force her back to stay that way. Bulma closed her eyes as she willed the pain to go away and when she opened them, she saw both Raditz and Kakarot staring at her with worry in their eyes. "What are you both staring at?" She snapped again but this time, she didn't sound as intimidating since she could barely even move.

"You're not going to be fighting at all." Kakarot said as he took a seat in one of the chairs.

"What?" Bulma yelled. "You can't control me Kakarot. If I want to fight, then I will fight."

"They're too strong for you Bulma." Raditz said as he leaned against the wall and folded his arms over his chest. "Hell, they're too strong for me."

She was about to say something but Kakarot interrupted her by nodding seriously, "Raditz is right."

"Then why the hell are you making me train so much?" Bulma spat as she ignored the pain and sat up so that her glare was more affective, "Why the hell have you pushed me so hard that I can barely even move!" She screeched.

Kakarot winced at her loud voice. "In case you are mistaken for being a part of Frieza's army by the natives."

"Are you kidding me?" Her loud voice clawed at the Saiyans' eardrums but she ignored their winces of pain. "I don't even wear the same armour as Frieza's army! I'm sorry Kakarot, I really am, but I at least want to be able to see the fight if there is one. I am not staying on the ship, what would have been the point in me coming if I missed out on all the action and stayed here?"

Bulma knew for a fact that there was definitely going to be a fight. She wasn't sure who it would be between, but she knew that there would be one. There was no point in trying to be optimistic about it. They were going to a planet which was inhabited by strong warriors to try and recruit the unpredictable Saiyan Prince whilst two of Frieza's strongest lackeys were also on the planet. A fight seemed kind of inevitable, especially when Raditz and Kakarot were supposed to be dead. Well, Vegeta knew that Raditz wasn't dead.

"Someone has to stay and keep an eye on the ship." Kakarot said, "It would be best if Raditz goes to Vegeta and I'm a lot stronger than you so I should be able to hold my own against Zarbon or Dodoria until Raditz manages to get Vegeta on our side."

She frowned. Bulma knew it made perfect sense but she just didn't want to be left behind. "Why can't we capsulize the ship?" She already knew the answer to that, but it didn't stop her from asking.

"You know why," Kakarot sighed as he stood up. "It would take too much time to release it from its capsule if we have to leave as quickly as possible."

Bulma hated losing but right now, her mind just wasn't up to an argument. The pain of her body seemed to make her mind spin faster. Kakarot was more or less saying that if she didn't stay with the ship, she would die. Bulma knew that he wouldn't actually say those words, but she could tell he was thinking it. What was the point in her even coming on this mission? She wouldn't even be leaving the ship or fighting! Bulma sighed as she forced herself to stand. She hissed when her muscles ached with the movement and then swatted Kakarot's hand away when he tried to help her.

"Fine," She said through clenched teeth, "I'll stay on the damn ship, but I'm not training again until I can at least move without it hurting so much."

Kakarot frowned but didn't say anything as he watched the girl limp out of the living area with her back as straight and stiff as she could get it. No matter how many times Kakarot had told her that it was dangerous to just stop training at a time like this, she never listened. When they heard her go into the bathroom, they knew it would be a couple of hours before she got out of the bath. That was _if_ she could even get out of the bath.

* * *

**A/N - Okay so now I know that quite a lot of you will hate me, but I just had to. **

**Anyways, they're close to finally finding Vegeta and it's about time too! Again, this chapter was originally supposed to be in two or three different chapters, so technically by the end of this chapter, we should be going onto chapter 16 or 17. Yeah, I kind of guessed that you all wouldn't want to wait that long for Vegeta. **

**There's more drama to come, especially in the next chapter. **

**Preview of the next chapter:  
**

_Bulma relaxed slightly against Kakarot but was still sobbing violently. She watched as the infamous last Saiyan squadron stood in front of them, all with their own cocky stance._

_They definitely lived up to their reputation; they were ridiculously intimidating when they were together and they were surrounded by a deadly aura. The one of the right was obviously the tallest one and from what she could see through her blurred vision, he was completely bald and very terrifying. Bulma shrank back against Kakarot. On the left, was Raditz and she couldn't help but feel a little bit safer when she saw him. However, when she looked at the Saiyan in the middle who had large, flame like hair, Bulma's fear grew slightly. He may have been the smallest, but he was most definitely the most intimidating and his aura screamed death. Just the way he held himself made her feel intimidated and Bulma knew immediately which Saiyan was which._

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	11. Infamous Last Saiyan Squadron… Reunited!

**Chapter 11 – The Infamous Last Saiyan Squadron… Reunited!**

They had been waiting on the planet Narmeldo for an entire month before four space pods broke through the planet's atmosphere.

As soon as Bulma, Raditz and Kakarot had arrived, the three of them were surrounded by the natives. Bulma was surprised that they all looked similar to one another. Their hard warrior skin was a dark shade of pink and their eyes were a faded shade of green. The only thing that separated them from one another was the length and styles of their white hair.

Bulma had taken control of the situation before it got out of hand. She had told them about the members of Frieza's army that were a month away from their planet and she had explained to them about how two of them were Zarbon and Dodoria. The natives looked angered and frightened as they yelled at her, telling her it was their fault for coming to the planet and leading them all to their deaths but again, she had explained to them as calmly as she could that they were only here first because they weren't as far away from the planet. The natives seemed to accept her explanation but they had told her that they refused to trust the two Saiyans who accompanied her.

The natives also said that they would send some warriors over to help her protect the ship. The Narmeldo race was an honourable one. They were about the same power level as her but if they worked together, they could probably take at least Dodoria down if he decided to pay Bulma a visit. Kakarot was more than grateful when they had said they would send warriors over to protect Bulma.

As Bulma stood up and put on her fingerless gloves and boots, she winced. Dodoria and Zarbon's powers were overwhelming to her senses. She had never felt such high powers before and they had only just broken through the planet's atmosphere. Bulma could also sense Vegeta's energy but she was surprised when she could hardly even feel Nappa's. His power was completely swamped by the other three.

Raditz and Kakarot decided that they would wait until they split up before they pursued them. It made sense.

She wouldn't admit it, but Bulma was scared. As she looked at her best friend, she was worried that he wouldn't return to her. The thought made her frown. He wouldn't be returning to _her _anyway. She shook the pessimistic thoughts from her head. No, Kakarot _will _return, just not to her.

"Remember Bulma stay with the ship," Kakarot said for what seemed like the hundredth time as he looked at the blue haired human.

Bulma rolled her eyes, "Yes Kakarot, I know."

When three warriors turned up and stood guard outside of the ship, Bulma walked outside with the two Saiyans. She couldn't help but hug them both before they set off, she was just so worried. Kakarot could see the worry in her eyes. He smiled and couldn't help but think that perhaps the old Bulma was back.

The past few months with the three of them on the ship had been pretty uncomfortable. Bulma had mood swings nearly every day but they weren't so bad once you got used to them. She also had her 'normal' moments that were in between her mania and depressed episodes.

As soon as they felt the four power levels split up, Raditz and Kakarot took off and both headed towards Vegeta. Bulma sat down on the ship's steps and waited for their return.

O.o.O

It had been well over an hour and they still weren't back. Well, they were on their way back but they weren't back yet. It didn't make her feel much better when she felt Zarbon and Dodoria's fluctuating kis every few minutes. She could tell that they were pissed about something and Bulma had a _very _good idea as to what that could be.

Bulma stood up, stretched and walked a couple of steps away from the ship. She couldn't sit still anymore. Bulma looked up into the sky and squinted at the sunlight. She couldn't help but feel saddened by the fact that this was her last mission with Kakarot. Sure, she had said on more than one occasion that she hated all of the missions but honestly, she had no idea what she would do when all of this was over.

Taking a deep breath, Bulma looked down at the ground and frowned. She had no planet to go to and she had no idea what would happen to the Rebellion Army once they had defeated Frieza. Bulma knew for a fact that there wouldn't be a Rebellion Army anymore; there wouldn't be any reason for there to be one. The thoughts of being forever alone returned to her.

Her eyes widened as she spun around in what seemed to her like slow motion after hearing surprise gasps and breathless screams. Bulma would have screamed herself at the sight of the big pink alien but she couldn't find her voice. She took a wary step back as he dumped the last body of the warriors who were supposed to be protecting her onto the ground and then moved back another step when he looked directly at her and smirked.

"Well aren't you a pretty little thing," His deep voice made her feel even more on edge as she took another step back.

There was no way she would survive if she attacked him and she wouldn't be able to defend herself against such a high power. Bulma took in a shaky breath and almost cheered when she felt Kakarot and Raditz's ki spike. At least they knew that she wasn't alone.

"Dodoria," Bulma whispered breathlessly.

It felt like her entire body had suddenly frozen. She couldn't move an inch as he stepped towards her. The spikes on his body looked even sharper as he started to stalk towards her like she was his prey. Bulma's eyes darted around the clearing as she silently begged Kakarot to hurry up and save her. There was a voice in her head telling her that he wasn't going to be able to make in time and in response, her eyes started to water.

She didn't want to die.

"Stay the hell away from me," She said through clenched teeth as she forced her body to move back again.

"Don't be like that," He replied huskily.

Bulma could feel bile rising in her throat and when another figure dropped from the sky, she almost fell to the ground and gave up. There was no way she would have survived against Dodoria and now Zarbon was here too. Bulma looked between the two aliens as Zarbon looked her up and down. She felt dirty with the way he was looking at her as though she was a piece of meat.

Before she could even register any movement, she was flat on her back on the ground with all of her breath knocked out of her. When she finally realised what had happened, she screamed loudly. Her back and head hurt from the impact of the ground as she thrashed wildly against the large pink body that was on top of her. Tears started to fall freely down the sides of her face when she heard a loud ripping sound along with white hot pain across her stomach and chest. Bulma didn't want to look down but she couldn't help it. As she looked down at her body, she saw that the top half of her spandex suit had been ripped away, leaving her in just a bra. Her chest and stomach were both bleeding and it looked as though she had been scratched by a mutated, overgrown cat. Her screams grew more frantic.

Her screams gained the attention of the natives as they rushed to help the human heiress but Zarbon killed them all without even taking his eyes off of Dodoria and Bulma. He smirked as he watched her try to punch Dodoria with whatever strength she may possess. He didn't know who she was, but he did know that it would be fun to break her.

Bulma willed her body to land a decent punch, but it was no use. She sobbed as she felt a large hand grab both of her wrists and pin them above her head. Again, she tried to swallow the bile that was rising in her throat at the sight of the large pink head that was smirking down at her. Dodoria lowered his head and pressed his lips to her ear.

"I like feisty women," He whispered into her ear. Bulma sobbed again.

He grabbed her breast and squeezed hard, causing a scream to rip out of Bulma's throat. She felt his hand trail down as it went over her new injuries but just as he was about to rip the rest of her spandex playsuit away, he fell to the ground beside her as blood splattered all over her. Bulma looked at Dodoria and saw that he was now headless.

She screamed again.

Her screaming continued and only grew louder and more frantic as she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her body. She looked down at her body and saw that she was covered in even more blood. Her eyes widened at the sight.

There was so much blood.

Bulma thrashed violently as she felt her captor pulling her away from Dodoria's body and the now extremely enraged Zarbon.

"Bulma," Kakarot yelled over her screams of terror.

When he had felt Dodoria land outside of the ship, he had become worried. His worry turned into full blown panic when he felt the ki of the Narmeldos' who were supposed to be protecting Bulma, all quickly disappear as they were murdered. When he felt her ki spike with fear, his body automatically responded by speeding up.

As soon as he saw Zarbon and Dodoria, he started to freak out. He couldn't see Bulma anywhere. But as he looked closer, he could see her thrashing underneath Dodoria. Kakarot became enraged as her petrified screams and sobs reached him as well as the smell of her blood and he was quick to eliminate the alien who was a threat to his pack mate.

Bulma relaxed slightly against Kakarot but was still sobbing violently. She watched through blurred vision as the infamous last Saiyan squadron stood in front of them, all with their own cocky stance.

They definitely lived up to their reputation; they were ridiculously intimidating when they were together and they were surrounded by a deadly aura. The one of the right was obviously the tallest one and from what she could see through her blurred vision, he was completely bald and _very _terrifying. Bulma shrank back against Kakarot. On the left, was Raditz and she couldn't help but feel a little bit safer when she saw him. However, when she looked at the Saiyan in the middle who had large, flame like hair, Bulma's fear grew slightly. He may have been the smallest, but he was most definitely the most intimidating and his aura screamed death. Just the way he held himself made her feel intimidated and Bulma knew immediately which Saiyan was which.

She squeezed her eyes shut as Zarbon flew towards Kakarot with vengeance burning in his eyes. Kakarot quickly pushed Bulma away from him as he waited for the impact of one of Zarbon's punches, but it never came. He looked confused as he looked around and when he saw that Vegeta had stepped in front of him, he had to hold back a growl.

"You're mine Zarbon," Vegeta said in a deathly calm voice as he dropped his folded arms to his sides.

He had lived on Frieza's ship for fifteen years. For fifteen years, he was beaten daily by Zarbon and Dodoria and every other week, he was beaten by Frieza himself. The Saiyan Prince was angry that he wouldn't be able to get his revenge for what Dodoria had done to him but he pushed the thoughts aside as he powered up. At the age of seventeen, Vegeta had taught himself how to lower his power level so that it wouldn't attract the attention of Frieza. Now, he was about the same level as Zarbon, if not higher.

His words sent shivers up Bulma's spine and for a moment, she stopped crying. She didn't dare to open her eyes again or to even breathe. The sounds of blasts and attacks were all she needed to know that it was going to be an extremely dangerous fight. The tension in the air was palpable as the Saiyans' watched their Prince holding his own against Zarbon. Bulma was having trouble staying on her feet as the shockwaves and the ground vibrating booms tried to knock her over. Her heart was about to leap out of her throat at any second.

When she heard a body fall to the ground, she still didn't open her eyes. Even when she felt eyes on her, she didn't open them. Her body was tensed, bleeding and visibly trembling as her eyes remained tightly closed and she was panting heavily as though she was about to have a panic attack. When she said she had wanted a little thrill in her life, she did not mean something like _that._

"Bulma?" Kakarot called out to her.

No answer.

"Bulma," His voice was firmer now and she could tell that he was a lot closer to her.

She opened her eyes and sobbed when Kakarot pulled her against his body into a tight hug. Even though she hated to admit it and thought of herself as a tough girl, she was scared. No, no the correct word was petrified. Bulma grabbed and tangled her small hands onto Kakarot's spandex and clenched her fists as she sobbed against his chest. Nobody knew what to say or what to do so they all stayed silent and just awkwardly stared at the blue haired girl.

After a couple of minutes, Kakarot gently pushed Bulma away so that he could pick her up. He motioned with his head for everyone to get onto the ship and once they were on, he set the coordinates for headquarters and went into Bulma's room. He knew for a fact that she wouldn't want them all staring at her whilst she cried. She was too proud.

He silently cleaned her wounds to make sure they didn't get infected. Kakarot then washed her face which was covered in black streaks from her makeup and also washed her stomach and chest which was still covered in her blood and then put a baggy t-shirt on her.

Bulma eventually fell asleep against Kakarot's chest as he whispered into her ear over and over again that she was safe now. She didn't believe him. Nobody was safe whilst Frieza was still living and breathing.

She just hoped that someone would be able to put an end to his reign of terror soon.

* * *

**A/N - Okay, okay I promise you all that there will be no more Bulma and Raditz! **

**I know the fighting wasn't very detailed and I promise that the next fighting chapter will make up for it!**

* * *

**Preview to the next chapter:**

_"Put her down," Kakarot growled._

_Bulma's eyes widened as she stared at the bald man who was holding her. She didn't want anyone to touch her, let alone some overgrown creep who she barely even knew._

_"Nappa," Raditz snapped. _

_Bulma didn't say anything as her eyebrows furrowed and she looked down at Kakarot, silently begging for him to help her with her eyes._

_"Nappa put her down!" Kakarot yelled loudly._

_She winced as Nappa's hands tightened on her arms. Bulma could see in his eyes that he didn't like the disrespect he was currently receiving from two third classes. A hiss escaped through her clenched teeth as his hands kept tightening and it felt like the bones in her arms were being crushed._

_Bulma's ki started to grow higher but Nappa was too blinded by his anger to see._

* * *

**So there's the preview! **

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**


	12. Snap Out Of It!

**Chapter 12 – Snap Out Of It!**

Bulma was eerily silent for the next couple of days after what had happened. She didn't speak to anyone and she looked as though she was a walking zombie. Both Kakarot and Raditz were worried about her, but what could they do besides wait to see if she would just eventually snap out of it? Bulma had never had a sheltered life, well, not since she had to leave Earth, but even though she had never lived a sheltered life, she was still used to feeling protected. Kakarot couldn't help but feel like he had let her down. Hell, she wouldn't even look him in the eye anymore.

One day, during dinner, Nappa grew annoyed and tired of the tension and the awkward silence. He was tired of feeling like he was walking on eggshells. They should be celebrating, not acting like someone had just died. Well someone _did _die. Two people to be exact, but they weren't on their side and shouldn't even be classed as people, so why should he care?

"Will you just get over it?" Nappa snapped as he rolled his eyes and sat down in his seat next to Vegeta.

Bulma looked up at him and then looked at everyone else that was sat around the table. Everyone besides Vegeta was looking at her. Her brows furrowed and she looked as though she was in deep concentration as she looked down at her plate. It was still filled with food but she had no appetite. There were purple circles starting to form under her eyes from her lack of sleep but she didn't care. They were nothing a bit of makeup couldn't cover up.

Kakarot frowned at Nappa but held his tongue. He had wanted to tell her to snap out of it for a while but he would not have said it in such a harsh way.

After Bulma had fallen asleep that night after she was attacked, through his bond with Chi-Chi, he had shown her what had happened and Bulma's reaction. Then he asked his mate to tell his father and Bulma's parents about it to ask them what he should do. He could feel her anger that he had been comforting her in private and on Bulma's bed of all places, but he could also feel that she pushed her anger aside. He was proud of Chi-Chi; normally she told him exactly what she was thinking. However, giving the circumstances, she didn't and instead chose to let it go. Well, he presumed and hoped she was letting it go anyway.

Bulma's parents and his father were all worried about Bulma and completely outraged and angry about what happened, but why wouldn't they be? She was almost raped and also, it was like the whole ordeal had made her a mute. They were happy that they had finally found the Prince, but he could also tell that Bulma's parents were disappointed with him for leaving Bulma alone. He may have only seen it second hand through Chi-Chi's vision, but he knew that Chi-Chi wouldn't twist something as serious as this around.

She didn't answer Nappa and he growled in annoyance. He couldn't believe that a weakling human was ignoring him! How dare she? He was her superior and he demanded respect.

Nappa narrowed his eyes as he stood up and walked over to Bulma. Kakarot growled warningly as Nappa invaded Bulma's comfort zone. He knew he had invaded her space because Bulma's widened eyes snapped up to his face in worry. Enraged growls erupted from Kakarot as Nappa lifted Bulma up by her arms so that they were face to face. Her feet dangled as she was lifted and there was at least two feet of space between her feet and the ground. Almost instantly, Kakarot was beside Bulma and glaring at Nappa.

"Put her down," Kakarot growled.

Bulma's eyes widened as she stared at the bald man who was holding her. She didn't want anyone to touch her, let alone some overgrown creep who she barely even knew.

"Nappa," Raditz snapped.

He didn't ever use that tone with Nappa, but he could sense Bulma's ki fluctuating in distress and it was slowly rising as though she was preparing to attack him. She may not be as strong as Nappa, but with the way her ki was rising, she would at least land one decent hit. However, that was not what had him worried. No, he was worried about what Nappa might do to Bulma if she did in fact hit him. Raditz looked over to his Prince to see if he would say anything, but he was simply eating his meal as though nothing was happening. Raditz narrowed his eyes.

Bulma didn't say anything as her eyebrows furrowed and she looked down at Kakarot, silently begging for him to help her with her eyes.

"Nappa put her down!" Kakarot yelled loudly.

She winced as Nappa's hands tightened on her arms. Bulma could see in his eyes that he didn't like the disrespect he was currently receiving from two third classes. She squeezed her eyes shut and a hiss escaped through her clenched teeth as his hands kept tightening and it felt as though the bones in her arms were being crushed.

Bulma's ki started to grow higher but Nappa was too blinded by his anger to see. Vegeta however, looked up when he felt the change. The first day he had been travelling through space with them, Raditz told him about the technique of reading kis and he instantly picked it up. He raised an eyebrow as he watched the blue haired human slowly move back one of her legs. A smirk graced his features and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Raditz tense. He didn't blame the third class for being worried about the human. He had no doubt in his mind that if she attacked Nappa, even though it would do him no damage, he would still rip her to shreds for even attempting to hurt him.

Before anyone could stop her, Bulma bent her knee and slammed it against Nappa's gut. He gasped as pain shot through him and during his shock, he dropped Bulma and she fell straight into Kakarot's arms.

"Don't touch me." She said calmly to Nappa and then sat back down in her place as though nothing happened.

Vegeta smirked again. Perhaps being a part of this Rebellion Army wouldn't be so boring after all. He knew he couldn't just lash out and kill whoever he wanted when he got angry or bored now that he was a part of the Army. That had been the first thing Kakarot said to him. He almost scoffed at the memory of a third class telling _him_, the Prince of all Saiyans, what he can and cannot do. It was outrageous.

Nappa stood up straight again and glared at the girl. As he went to take a step forward, Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Nappa," He barked.

Immediately, Nappa stopped what he was doing and turned to face his Prince. "Yes, Prince Vegeta?"

"Do not touch the girl."

Everyone's eyes widened at Vegeta's words but before they could say anything, Vegeta turned back to his meal and started to eat again.

O.o.O

Later that night, the light from the television in the living room lit up his bedroom from under his door. The light kept flashing and changing colours every so often and it was making it hard to sleep.

Kakarot sat up in bed and looked over at his clock. It was three in the morning. He knew who it was that was up so early before he even climbed out of bed. As far as he could tell, she hadn't had any sleep for the past couple of days and he could also tell that it was having a dramatic effect on her. Kakarot sighed as he pulled on a t-shirt and left his room, carrying a blanket for Bulma.

He could see Bulma sat in her usual seat on the sofa as he walked out into the living room. Kakarot rubbed his eyes tiredly before he dropped the blanket over her shoulders and then sat down beside her.

"What are you watching?" Kakarot asked as he yawned.

Bulma looked up Kakarot, "Stay Alive." She replied quietly and then turned back to the screen.

Kakarot smiled slightly. It may have only been a short reply, but he was happy that Bulma had started talking again. The only thing he had to do now was get her to eat a full meal and to sleep for an entire night.

He leaned back against the sofa and pulled Bulma backwards so that she was leaning against his chest. At first, he felt her tense but then after a couple of seconds, Bulma slowly started to relax and silently laid her head on his chest. Kakarot smiled again. He could tell by her body language that she was tired, but why wasn't she sleeping? Was she having nightmares?

A few minutes later, just as Kakarot was about to say something, he heard a light snore coming from Bulma and he smiled sadly. Maybe she was just afraid of sleeping alone. Kakarot grabbed the remote from beside Bulma and at the same time, moved into a more comfortable position. He was lying on his back and Bulma was beside him with her head on his chest. Through the whole transition, she didn't stir once and he knew that she was going to be catching up on some much needed sleep.

Kakarot switched the television off and joined Bulma as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

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**A/N - **

**PLEASE READ:**

**Okay so I might not be able to update for a while because my laptop is completely messed up and won't start up or anything. Right now, I'm on my brother's laptop and I don't really feel comfortable writing smut or updating on his laptop... Especially since he's a big computer geek and can get whatever the hell he wants up, even the stuff that should be loooooong deleted. Believe me. -.-**

**Anyways, there's no reason to worry because I always back my work up and I've got it all on a USB stick thing. It just might be a while until I update. I'll try my hardest to get on a computer, but I doubt it'll happen unless I can get on my mums. If my brother can fix mine and it doesn't have to go into a shop, it should be fixed my next week or the week after. If I have to pay, well, it might be a little longer because we're moving and stuff.**

**That's another thing I wanted to say, sometime in late July/early August, I won't be updating at all because I'm moving. I don't know if it's possible to update from your phone, but I honestly don't want to try it. I already get annoyed with my phone, especially when it automatically corrects my words. I nearly sent the word 'slag' to my mum the other day... yeah, don't even ask haha. -.-**

**So I'll try my hardest to keep updating, but we're looking at like once a week or something.**

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**Preview for the next chapter:**

_"You should probably get those looked at," Bulma suggested as she looked him over once again._

_She hadn't really paid much attention to Vegeta or Nappa since they joined them, especially Nappa. Not too long ago, when she was in the bath, Bulma noticed the bruises on her arms from where he nearly crushed her arms in his vice like grip the day before._

_"Hn." _

_Bulma placed the food down onto the counter and turned to face him again. As she looked at him, she leaned against the side and folded her arms over her chest. "If you like, I could take a look at them? I've stitched the other Saiyans up more times than I can count so I know your anatomy pretty well."_

_"Whatever." Vegeta said as he finished his water and dumped the empty bottle into the bin._

_"Well do you want me to take a look at your injuries or not?" Bulma snapped._

_Vegeta smirked, "With the way you keep going on about it, one might think that you're desperate to touch me."_

_Bulma gasped as a blush found its way to her cheeks. Almost immediately, she glared at Vegeta but she couldn't help the warm sensation that filled her stomach. Bulma rolled her eyes inwardly at herself. "And with the way you keep staring at me, one might think that you like what you see." _

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**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	13. Dishonour

**Chapter 13 – Dishonour**

Vegeta looked down in disgust at the sight before him. He was up at his usual time (five in the morning) and was on his way down to the training rooms when he saw them. Vegeta couldn't remember exactly, but he was sure that the third class had said that he had a mate and a brat back at headquarters. If that was so, why was another woman on top of him, asleep and also, why did he have his arm wrapped around her?

He shook his head as he continued his way into the training rooms. If the third class was an unfaithful mate, then whatever, he couldn't care less.

O.o.O

Bulma didn't wake up until it was way past three in the afternoon. She frowned as she looked at the clock. Her muscles were stiff and whatever she had been sleeping on was hard but surprisingly, it wasn't uncomfortable and even somewhat familiar. Bulma sighed as she moved her arms under her head.

"Are you finally awake?"

Bulma lifted her head and was surprised to see that it was Kakarot she had been lying on but instead of moving or answering, she rested her head back on her arms and closed her eyes. She wasn't tired; she just felt as though she had very little energy and couldn't be bothered to move.

Kakarot was surprised at how long Bulma slept. She had slept for well over twelve hours! Whenever he had attempted to move or get up, she would whimper and cling onto him. So Kakarot stayed where he was. In his head, he could feel Chi-Chi's annoyance at him but he simply told her that Bulma was a part of his pack and that she needed him. He couldn't leave his best friend and ex-lover to suffer on her own. He wanted to take all the pain and sadness away from her. If that meant that it was he who had to suffer instead, then he would do it if it meant that Bulma would be okay.

"How are you feeling?" Kakarot asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Fine," She mumbled into his chest.

"Are you still tired? You slept for over twelve hours." Kakarot chuckled.

She groaned. "No," Was all she said.

Kakarot sat up and moved her so that she was lying on the sofa. Without saying a word, he left the room but was back two seconds later with a glass of water and a familiar box that made Bulma's eyes widen. She watched Kakarot smile at her before he knelt down and handed her the box. Bulma took it slowly as she sat up. She still wasn't taking her medication, but what was she supposed to do now? She wasn't sure if she would be able to keep it hidden under her tongue again, especially if Kakarot was going to stick around and talk to her. Bulma opened the box, took one of the many packets and took the today's tablet. She looked at Kakarot to see him still watching her. Without saying a word, she placed the tablet onto her tongue and took the glass off of him.

As she pressed the glass to her lips, her mind started to race. She didn't want to take the tablet but she had no choice. Bulma reluctantly washed the tablet down with her water and handed the glass back to Kakarot. She narrowed her eyes as she saw him just knelt there, staring at her.

"What?" She snapped.

"Nothing," Kakarot said quickly as he smiled goofily at her, "I was just making sure you were okay."

Bulma narrowed her eyes before opening her mouth wide and showing him inside of her mouth. "Look," She said before she lifted her tongue up and then closed her mouth. "I took the stupid pill. Now leave me alone." With that, Bulma stormed out of the room and into her bedroom.

She was angry. She was angry at Kakarot, but she was mostly angry at herself. Bulma was angry at Kakarot because he had treated her like an idiotic child and she was angry at herself for falling for his lies and pretending to be caring once again. Whilst growling, she picked up a change of clothes, underwear and her toiletries bag before leaving to take a bath.

Whilst she was running her bath, she looked at herself in the mirror. It had only been about twenty minutes since she had taken her tablet and she was already starting to feel different but she wasn't sure if she liked the change or not. Maybe the medication was too strong for her if it was already having an effect. Without missing a beat, Bulma leaned over the toilet and stuck her fingers down her throat. She would _not _let them force her to do something she didn't want to do. The feeling of her stomach muscles clamping together as her body tried to produce sick when there was no food in her system was almost enough to make her stop.

But she didn't.

She refused to let them win.

As soon as she was sure that she had emptied whatever was left in her stomach, she flushed the toilet, washed her hands and then brushed her teeth.

There was a knock on the door just when she was about to strip down and get in the bath. She groaned. Could they not just leave her alone for once? Bulma opened the door and raised an eyebrow when she saw that it was Raditz. What could he want?

"Are you okay?" He asked as he watched her warily, "Your ki was fluctuating like you were in distress."

Bulma rolled her eyes although she was kind of surprised that it was Raditz standing there and not Kakarot. "I'm fine." She said through clenched teeth.

Raditz nodded once before walking away. As soon as she shut the door and locked it, she all but tore her clothes off before sinking into the hot bubble bath. Bulma looked at her skin and frowned. She didn't like the sickly pale colour it was turning and just like her mother had said, she really was starting to lose her perfect figure.

After her bath, Bulma dressed in her usual black spandex playsuit and pulled on a pair of white boots and fingerless gloves. She looked at herself in the mirror as she stood tall and drew her shoulders back. There was just something about herself that she didn't like. Bulma looked at her now dry, waist length hair and watched as it slipped through her fingers. No, it wasn't her hair. She scrutinized her features carefully and intensely but again, couldn't find anything bad about them. Sure, she had dark circles forming under her eyes, but she had never in her entire life had a single blemish. Her mother had always gone on about how she was lucky as to never get spots but Bulma didn't really see the big deal with them. Okay so maybe they were a little disgusting, especially when you popped them but apart from that, she couldn't see what the big deal was.

Bulma gave up trying to find what was wrong with her, she just couldn't be bothered. Instead, she walked straight into the kitchen for some much needed nourishment. As she looked at the clock on the wall, she found that it was almost time to make dinner. Perhaps she could just wait until then…

She nodded. What difference did it make if she ate now or in an hour or two? Bulma decided that it didn't make much of a difference at all.

As she pulled out the ingredients for dinner, she could sense someone standing close to her. Bulma narrowed her eyes as she quickly spun around to see who had tried to sneak up on her. She was surprised to see Vegeta of all people standing there with a bottle of water in his hand. It looked as though he had just come from a very intense training session. He was covered in already forming bruises and cuts.

Bulma frowned as she assessed his wounds. Some of them looked pretty serious but he acted as though they were nothing more than scratches. Though considering what Raditz had told them about Vegeta's six day stay in a regeneration tank, she wasn't really surprised that he thought of them as nothing.

"You should probably get those looked at," Bulma said as she looked him over once again.

She hadn't really paid much attention to Vegeta or Nappa since they joined them, especially Nappa. Not too long ago, when she was in the bath, Bulma noticed the bruises on her arms from where he nearly crushed her arms in his vice like grip the day before. Hell, she could see them now because of her outfit!

However, now that she was looking at Vegeta, it was obvious he was a Prince. Right from his looks all the way down to the way he stood. He wasn't a tall man, probably only about a head taller than her but the way he held himself made him seem so much taller. That wasn't the only thing that made him seem taller either. No, his large, black flame like hair was at least a head taller than him. It was also obvious that Vegeta was a warrior. As he stood before her in only his royal blue spandex, she could see the scars that littered his body and she could also see his bulging muscles.

Bulma hadn't realised she was staring until she looked back up to him to see his dark eyes staring at her emptily. It looked as though he felt no emotions whatsoever and it felt as though she was falling in his dark eyes. They seemed so… so _endless_.

"It was only a suggestion," Bulma raised her hands defensively and rolled her eyes at the Saiyan Prince.

"Hn."

Even though it sounded more like a grunt rather than a reply, she was surprised that he even bothered to reply at all. Bulma looked at Vegeta from over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at him. He was just staring at her with what seemed like curiosity, but she wasn't too sure. She was used to people showing no emotions but this guy, he just seemed so empty.

Bulma placed the food down onto the counter and turned to face him again. As she looked at him, she leaned against the side and folded her arms over her chest. "If you like, I could take a look at them? I've stitched the other Saiyans up more times than I can count so I know your anatomy pretty well."

"Whatever." Vegeta said as he finished his water and dumped the empty bottle into the bin.

"Well do you want me to take a look at your injuries or not?" Bulma snapped.

Vegeta smirked, "With the way you keep going on about it, one might think that you're desperate to touch me."

Bulma gasped as a blush found its way to her cheeks. Almost immediately, she glared at Vegeta but she couldn't help the warm sensation that filled her stomach. Bulma rolled her eyes inwardly at herself. "And with the way you keep staring at me, one might think that you like what you see."

Vegeta scoffed and looked away. "I would not touch another's mate."

She couldn't help but notice the double meaning to Vegeta's words. Bulma narrowed her eyes dangerously at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The Saiyan Prince smirked at how easy it was to anger the human girl. He then turned serious. "It is dishonourable to touch or steal another's mate."

"I don't know what the hell you're trying to get at, but I haven't got a mate." Bulma placed her hands on her hips and glared at Vegeta. "And even if I did, I wouldn't disrespect them in such a way."

Vegeta chuckled humourlessly as he shook his head. She just wasn't getting it, was she? He didn't want to actually say the words because he didn't want to seem like he gave a damn – which he didn't.

"And besides," Bulma continued as she got more annoyed. "Who are _you_ to tell _me_ what is dishonourable?!"

His chuckling stopped as he narrowed his eyes at the girl. "I am Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans!"

"Yes, I know that." Bulma rolled her eyes.

"And you still dare to call me dishonourable?" Vegeta spat.

Bulma hadn't realised that he had been taking steps forward until her back was completely against the refrigerator and there was no more than a couple of inches between them. She could feel his anger rolling off of him in waves and she immediately reprimanded herself for calling him dishonourable. She should have known better than to call a Saiyan dishonourable, especially the Saiyan Prince! Bulma scolded herself. Why did she have to say those stupid, reckless things?

However, even though she knew she was in the wrong, she still refused to back down. "Kakarot and I have been following you around since I turned fourteen and that was over five years ago! We have seen the things you have done and we have seen how many races you have slaughtered." She said her words through clenched teeth.

Vegeta clenched his fists tightly. He did not like the girl's accusations and he didn't like that she was calling him dishonourable. However, the thing that he disliked the most was the fact that for five years, they had been following him around. Vegeta growled and in response, Bulma growled straight back at him.

She had basically been taught and raised by Saiyans. Of course she knew she was only a human, but Bulma sometimes thought as a Saiyan. Just the sound of Vegeta trying to show that he was the alpha around here was angering her; she was used to following Kakarot or Bardock's orders or even her own! Not Vegeta's. Bulma could tell that Vegeta was surprised by her growling. He was most likely shocked that she had refused to acknowledge him as the alpha.

"Now if you don't mind," Bulma said calmly as she stood up straight. She immediately regretted her decision as it closed some of the distance between them. Now, their noses were almost touching and the tension in the air was palpable but again, Bulma refused to be the first one to break or back down. "And if you would like to eat, I suggest you get out of the kitchen so I can cook."

He didn't like being told what to do, but if she was right about one thing, it was that he _did _want to eat tonight. Vegeta growled one final time before he left the kitchen.

* * *

**A/N - Okay... So I have some good and some bad news. The good news is, is that my laptop seems to be working fine and only needs a wire reconnecting, which is pretty basic so when I have the time, I'll do it. It seems to be alright to use and it hasn't slowed its performance or messed up the screen quality, so for now, it's okay to use. The bad news is that I'm going to stick to the only updating once a week thing again, sorry! **

**I know you were all hoping and probably expecting something a little more out of this chapter, but I can't rush the relationship! **

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**Preview for the next chapter:**

_When she was right in front of him and saw him readying himself to block her attack, she phased behind him and punched him just above his tail, making his entire body tense as spasms of pain shot up his spine. But she wasn't done. He had pushed her too far this time, they all had and she could feel her anger overflowing. Bulma growled as she swung her leg and connected it with his side, slamming him to the ground. Before he even had time to get up, she was straddling him and punching him over and over again with all the strength she could muster._

_It wasn't until she saw that he was unconscious that she stopped. Bulma gasped loudly when she saw that his face was bruising and bleeding. She had to force herself not to cry when she heard his uneven breathing. _

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**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	14. Memory Loss

**Chapter 14 – Memory Loss**

Bulma growled continuously as she threw punch after punch at Kakarot. She was just so sick of that damn Saiyan Prince! He thought that just because he had a title that he owned the damn place. Her eyes narrowed as she kneed Kakarot in the stomach and then threw her fist upwards, punching under his chin. Well she had a title too and she refused to stand down just because he was a Prince and she was an heiress!

Nappa always called her disrespectful when she spoke badly to Vegeta. He had also said that a 'weakling like her should know its place'. Bulma scoffed as she went on the defensive. She doubled over as a fist collided with her chest. She growled again.

For the past month, she had been constantly arguing with Vegeta and every single time that stupid, big oaf would get involved. No matter how many times Vegeta told him to shut up or stay out of it, he never did. Bulma despised all of the disgusted looks that Nappa threw at her. She couldn't understand what his problem was. None of the other Saiyans had a problem with her. Hell, Vegeta seemed like he _enjoyed_ their arguments.

"Bulma, you're not focusing." Kakarot frowned as he knocked her to the ground with little effort.

It was true, she wasn't focusing. In fact, she hadn't been able to focus for the past week or so and it was beginning to annoy her. But in all fairness, Kakarot _was_ forcing her to train just as hard as he had before they landed on the planet Narmeldo. She was tired and sore and she just wanted to lie down and never move again. But of course Kakarot wouldn't allow that, so Bulma took all her anger, frustration and annoyance out on him.

Bulma forced her arms to work as she pushed herself up so that she was on all fours. Her arms shook with the strain and breathing came in pants until she coughed up blood. When she saw the blood on the ground, she raised her head to look at Kakarot with a deadly glare. Bulma knew what the blood meant. It meant a trip to the regeneration tank and she hated the damn thing!

With new anger and determination, Bulma stood up and charged towards Kakarot. When she was right in front of him and saw him readying himself to block her attack, she phased behind him and punched him just above his tail, making his entire body tense as spasms of pain shot up and down his spine. But she wasn't done. He had pushed her too far this time, they all had and she could feel her anger overflowing. Bulma growled as she swung her leg and connected it with his side, slamming him to the ground. Before he even had time to get up, she was straddling him and punching him over and over again with all the strength she could muster.

It wasn't until she saw that he was unconscious that she stopped. Bulma gasped loudly when she saw that his face was already bruising and bleeding. She had to force herself not to cry or scream when she heard his uneven breathing.

"Kakarot," She whispered as she gently slapped the side of his face. "Kakarot!" she screamed as she slapped him harder.

Sobs started to shake her body when he didn't answer. Bulma couldn't understand how the hell someone who was hundreds of times stronger than herself got knocked out by her so easily. Unless he had lowered his ki, she shouldn't have been able to cause any damage.

Bulma frowned as she forced herself to concentrate. She kept telling herself that she had to stay focused for Kakarot's sake. Bulma raised her ki as high as it would go before placing one of Kakarot's arms around her shoulders and wrapping one of her arms around his waist. She groaned as her already aching muscles started to burn and ache all the more.

"Damn it Kakarot," Bulma said breathlessly as she dragged his body out of the training room, "You may not get fat from all the food you eat, but you sure do get heavy."

Her panting could be heard throughout the ship as well as her groans and cries of pain. Bulma pulled with all her strength but with each step she took, Kakarot seemed to get heavier. It didn't help that she was also in a great deal of pain and it hurt just to breathe.

Bulma almost cheered when she heard footsteps approaching, but her happiness faded when she saw it was only Vegeta. She knew for a fact that he wouldn't help. In fact, by the look on his face as he watched her dragging Kakarot towards the medical room, she knew he wouldn't help. He looked like he was trying not to laugh. What a jerk.

"So much for caring about your people," Bulma spat through clenched teeth as she readjusted Kakarot's position and started dragging him again.

She didn't wait for a reply from Vegeta and he didn't show any signs of even giving her one as he slammed the training room door behind him, almost breaking it in the process.

When she got half way to the medical room, she collapsed and cried out in pain as Kakarot's weight crushed her against the floor. He didn't even budge an inch as she tried her hardest to push herself off of the ground and knock him off of her. Her arms shook with the strain of having Kakarot's weight on her until they gave in and she slammed against the ground once more.

Once again, she could hear footsteps nearby but Bulma didn't allow herself to get as excited as she had earlier. If it was only Nappa or Vegeta again, she knew they wouldn't help her. They would probably just laugh because of her position. Even she had to admit, it didn't look too good.

Bulma took a deep breath before yelling desperately at the top of her lungs, "Raditz!"

It wasn't too long until she heard the footsteps quicken as they hurried over to the sound of her voice. She felt like crying with happiness when she saw Raditz quickly turn the corner and run towards them.

As soon as Kakarot's body had been lifted off of her, Bulma gasped for air as she turned so that she was lying on her back. Bulma panted quickly as the feeling of relief washed over her. For a second, she thought she was probably going to be crushed to death by Kakarot's dead weight.

She felt somebody lift her up as soon as she managed to get her breath back. Bulma rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes as she was carried through the ship. When she was healed, she was going to give Vegeta a piece of her mind. Oh, and Kakarot too. How dare he allow himself to be knocked out? Not only did he allow himself to be knocked out, but he did it knowing that she would have to be the one to carry him to the medical room. How dare he do that! What about Vegeta? He's strong enough to carry both of them yet he just left her to it! What a jerk.

"So... what happened?" Raditz asked when he had put her down on one of the beds in the medical room.

When he went to assess her injuries, Bulma held up a hand. "Check Kakarot first, he hit his head pretty hard and I don't like how badly he's bleeding." Raditz looked as though he was about to protest but she narrowed her eyes. "Do it Raditz."

Raditz growled but did as she asked. "So what happened?" He repeated his questions as he saw to his brother's head injury.

Bulma sighed and frowned to herself, "He made me angry and I made a stupid, dirty move. I hit him where the nerves are just above his tail and then attacked him when he was trying to get over the pain and spasms of the last attack."

She was surprised when she heard Raditz chuckling. When she looked up to glare at him, she saw that Kakarot was fine, just knocked out. She growled to herself. Bulma had been hoping that he would be in the regeneration tank for a while so that she would have no other choice but to heal naturally.

"He was simply knocked out because of the metal on the ground, he should be fine." Raditz told her as he walked over to her. He checked her over before ripping her spandex top off, making Bulma gasp. "Your ribs are broken." He muttered when he saw her reaction and facial expression.

"Oh," Was all she said as she looked away from Raditz. It was hard to concentrate having him stare at her chest, even if she was covered by her bra.

It had been months since what had happened between them but she was still sexually frustrated and _very _easily turned on. It made living on a ship with four Saiyans hard. They could smell her arousal and it was embarrassing, especially when she would become aroused by the littlest of things. However, lately she had been able to keep her arousal under control. Actually now that she thought about it, she hadn't really been turned on since what had happened with Dodoria on Narmeldo, but that was understandable. She was nearly raped, after all._  
_

Bulma took a deep breath as Raditz started to set her bones before he removed the rest of her playsuit and put her into the tank.

O.o.O

When it was time to come out of the tank, Kakarot was awake and waiting for her. She could tell that he wasn't mad at her because of the goofy smile on his face. As she got out of the tank, he wrapped a towel around her, wiping away the liquid as he did.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he looked her over for any damage the tank might not have healed.

"I'm fine," She said before looking around the room for clothes. "Kakarot, where are my clothes?"

He shrugged, "I only woke up about two minutes ago. I saw that you would be out of the tank soon so I decided to wait."

Bulma rolled her eyes before tightening the towel around her body and walking out of the medical room. As she walked, she constantly pulled the towel down to make sure it kept her covered and she tightened her hold on the top of it. It didn't cover much and it made her feel uncomfortable. She didn't want anyone to see her when she was hardly covered because she felt disgusting. Why wouldn't she? Kakarot didn't want her. Raditz hadn't said anything about what happened between them and didn't seem to want to continue or do it again. Nappa constantly made her feel worthless. Vegeta, well, Vegeta was just Vegeta. Even Turles didn't hit on her anymore. Bulma felt unwanted.

It wasn't until she reached her bedroom that she had realised that Kakarot had been following her. Bulma turned and raised an eyebrow at him, but he simply smiled. Her eyebrows furrowed. What was he doing?

"Okay…" Bulma said slowly as she opened her door and walked into her room. She was about to close it when Kakarot stepped into her room, closing the door behind him.

"What are you doing?" Bulma whispered as her heart started to beat faster.

She hadn't seen that look on his face for years.

He didn't say anything as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Bulma's eyes widened but she couldn't help but melt into his kiss. She had missed his touch so much. Bulma sighed as she returned his kiss. When she felt his arms wrap around her waist and his tail wrap around her upper thigh, she shivered with want.

However, when they were on her bed and kissing desperately, something hit Bulma.

This wasn't right.

They couldn't do this. He had a son and even though she despised Chi-Chi, she was still his wife. Bulma turned her head away from him with the little bit of strength she could muster and closed her eyes sadly. No matter how badly she wanted to continue, it wouldn't be fair to his family. However, no matter how much her mind was yelling at her to stop him, her body wouldn't respond. Her brows furrowed and she couldn't stop the moan that escaped her throat as Kakarot started to kiss her neck passionately whilst rubbing her breasts.

Bulma was trying to tell him to stop, but when his lips were on hers again, she found that she couldn't. Her mind completely emptied as Bulma focused only on returning his kiss and she moaned as he grinded his hips into hers. She could feel him hardening as she deepened the kiss and ran her hands down his sides. Her towel was long gone by now and all she was wearing was her midnight blue laced bra and underwear.

She arched her back as Kakarot ran his finger over her opening. Just as he slipped two fingers inside of her, reality hit her like a punch in the face. But how could she stop him now? He was looking at her with so much adoration and love that it made her heart hurt. How long had she wanted someone to look at her that way? How long had it been since anyone looked at her that way? It had been years. She had wanted _this_ for years.

Now however, her mind was on Chi-Chi and Gohan. It wouldn't be fair to them if she took advantage of Kakarot.

Instead of continuing, she pushed Kakarot off of her. He looked at her questioningly and it made her heart hurt even more. She wanted nothing more than for him to love her, but it wouldn't be right. Bulma couldn't help but inwardly scream at the Gods. Why were they always screwing her over?

"Kakarot," Bulma sighed sadly as she pulled her underwear back on. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" He looked confused but then smiled. "It's what two people do when they love each other."

That was when the tears came.

She couldn't hold them back any longer. It had been so long since she saw the look of adoration and love in his eyes aimed at her and it did nothing more than make her heart ache and make her feel guilty. Before he could say anything else, she ran out of her bedroom. She couldn't stay there when he was in there anymore. It was hard enough pushing him away but seeing him sat there on her bed wanting to continue made it even harder to keep her hands off of him.

It wasn't until she ran into the training rooms that she found she was sobbing. She had to tell someone. She had to tell anyone who would listen that she had broken Kakarot. Bulma wiped her eyes with jerky hands as another sob ripped from her chest. Suddenly, there were hands on the top of her arms, holding her at arms-length and shaking her slightly.

"What happened?" Raditz demanded.

He had been training with Vegeta, showing him some of the techniques he had learned when Bulma ran into the training room. The smell of her arousal was on her but when he looked at her, she was near enough naked, sobbing and looked broken. His first thoughts went straight to Nappa. Did he hurt her? Did she finally push him so far that he disobeyed his Prince and attacked her?

"Kaka- Kakarot," Bulma said as she tried to calm her sobs. She took a deep breath, "He… He kissed me and then we… we were on my bed an- and…" She couldn't continue. Bulma looked up at Raditz with sad eyes, trying to tell him what she could not say. He furrowed his brows at her.

"He has a mate and a son, Bulma." Raditz said as he dropped his hands and took a step back.

She shook her head desperately. "No… He-"

At that moment, Kakarot himself walked into the training room with confusion written all over his face. When he saw both Raditz and Vegeta staring at Bulma, his eyes widened.

"How did you get on the ship?" He demanded as he stepped in between Bulma and Raditz.

Raditz's eyes also widened. He turned and looked at Vegeta but saw that his Prince wore his usual empty mask. Bulma took a step away from Kakarot and stood beside Raditz.

"Bulma," Kakarot whispered as hurt flashed across his face. In return, it felt like her heart throbbed painfully. "What are you doing?"

Suddenly, Raditz understood what Bulma meant. At first, he thought she had been the one who seduced Kakarot and he thought that she felt guilty about it or that he rejected her. But as he looked at his younger brother, it was obvious that he had been the one who seduced her. Beside him, Bulma took a deep breath.

"I broke you," She sobbed into her hands. Guilt overwhelmed her and filled her entire being as the words left her mouth.

"What are you talking about?" Kakarot chuckled. "I'm okay!"

"Kakarot, you don't love me." It felt like she had a lump in her throat as she spoke. "You may love me as a friend, but you don't love me in _that_ way."

He frowned, "I do love you in that way Bulma. How can you say such a thing?"

"No," Bulma closed her eyes and shook her head as she tried to find the words to make him see the truth. She said the first things that came to mind, "You don't. You think of me as disgusting. Just the memory of what we did together disgusts you. You have a mate, Kakarot and you have a son. I don't know why you're doing this, but you don't love me." By now, tears were falling down her cheeks once again. Lately, it felt as though all she ever did was cry.

Kakarot cupped her face and wiped away the tears, very much like he had done in the past when they were children. He didn't let go even as she looked up at him. The hurt in her eyes made him hurt. "You can never be disgusting to me. You're beautiful, Bulma. Last night was beautiful, how can I think it was disgusting?"

"Last night?" Raditz frowned as he looked between the two. "What do you mean last night?"

By now, Vegeta had walked over and was watching them. It annoyed him how sentimental they were all being but it did surprise him when he heard things had happened between the blue haired woman and the third class. However, he wasn't as surprised about that when he found that he didn't feel entirely disgusted. Instead, he found himself with a burning feeling in his gut. He wanted to rip Kakarot to pieces and it made Vegeta inwardly frown. Why would he, the Prince of all Saiyans, feel jealous of a third class?

"Nothing happened between us last night Kakarot." Bulma said quietly as her eyebrows knitted together with confusion.

"Bulma," Kakarot gasped as hurt once again flashed over his features. He dropped his hands and they fell limp at his sides. He looked crushed and devastated.

Bulma instinctively cupped his face with both hands as she looked him in the eyes. How could he have lost his memory? She had to make him remember. "Kakarot, what happened between us was years ago. You're married now… to a girl named Chi-Chi and you have a son called Gohan."

He pulled away from her. "No I don't. If I'm bonded with anyone, it'd be you. It has always been you Bulma."

Her heart ached at his words and she sobbed once. Bulma was about to say something when Vegeta growled and spoke up.

"Stop being so fucking sentimental, it's making me feel sick!" He spat as he stalked towards them. "It is true. You haven't taken the woman for years, just smell her you idiot."

Vegeta couldn't explain the anger he could feel when he saw them touching or just the thought of them touching. Also, seeing Bulma act in such a pathetic way when Kakarot spoke of there only being her made him feel even angrier. That was not the woman he had gotten to know over the past couple of months and he hated the fact that the third class had changed her.

Both Bulma and Raditz were surprised that Vegeta had spoken up. In all honesty, they had forgotten about his presence since he had stayed silent and in the background.

Bulma blushed when Kakarot leaned down to her neck as he inhaled deeply and her body shivered when she felt his hands on her hips, holding her in place. When he looked back up, she could see the confusion on his face and she looked down at the ground with a hurt expression. He was remembering when she wanted nothing more than to hear the words that she was the only one again.

"Why am I not bonded mates with you?" Kakarot frowned as he forced her to look up at him. It sounded more as though he was asking himself.

"I already told you Kakarot, you don't love me." Bulma reluctantly pulled out of his hold.

"But I do love you Bulma."

Kakarot couldn't understand why she was saying such things. Also, he couldn't understand why he couldn't smell his scent on her or why he wasn't bonded mates with her. He had loved Bulma ever since they first met. After they had had sex, even though it seemed impossible, he loved her even more. But now, she was telling him that that was years ago and that he was married to someone else and had a child. He couldn't believe them. How could he? Kakarot – as well as everyone at headquarters – had always thought that it was Bulma he would be bonded to and he had always thought that it would be Bulma who carried his children. As he looked at the pain in her eyes, he wanted nothing more than to take it all away from her.

"No you don't!" Bulma yelled angrily. "Stop saying you love me! It took me years to get over you, Kakarot. A year after you told me you love me and would always be there to protect me, you married another woman. Not too long after that, you had a son and if I remember correctly, he will be three years old when we get back to headquarters."

"I would never hurt you in such a way." He yelled right back at her.

Bulma narrowed her eyes at his tone but instead of replying, she turned her glare towards Vegeta and Raditz, "Will you both leave? I would rather not talk about this with you both here."

Raditz frowned, "Are you sure that's such a good idea?" He was worried that Bulma would give in to the things Kakarot was saying. Raditz could tell that they hurt her and that she wanted nothing more than for his words to be true.

She nodded once, "Just get out."

Vegeta looked as though he was about to argue but for the first time ever, her glare silenced him. He could see that she was in no mood to argue. Also, for the sake of her pride _and _his own, he left. Vegeta didn't know if he could hold back any longer. He wanted nothing more than to kill the third class and it was confusing the hell out of him.

As soon as they both left, Bulma looked up to Kakarot. The way he was looking at her made her sigh. Bulma sat down and indicated that he should sit down beside her. She couldn't help the bitter thoughts about Chi-Chi. '_That bitch better be grateful for this.' _

"What's going on?" He frowned. "Why can't I remember anything?"

"Kakarot, what I'm saying is true." He looked like he was about to argue but Bulma simply raised her hand to silence him. "It has been years since we were together, over four… maybe even five years. You have a mate now and a son who adores you and looks up to you. You're his hero, Kakarot. As much as it hurts me to tell you this, you don't love me.

"I wish with all my heart that it was me who you bonded with and I wish that it was me who carried your children, but it isn't. Chi-Chi is your mate. It wouldn't be fair to her or your son if I took advantage of what's happening to you. I already feel guilty for letting it go as far as it did."

"Bulma I-"

"Kakarot, shut up. If I'm opening up to you like this, then just... shut up and listen." Bulma took a deep breath as she calmed herself and then looked away as she continued. "I'm not going to lie and tell you that it didn't hurt me when you told me about you marrying Chi-Chi, because it did. It hurt more than any physical attack that I've ever received. It felt like my entire world was falling apart and someone had ripped out my heart and tore it to pieces.

"But I can tell that it would hurt Chi-Chi a whole lot more if anything happened between us again. You love _her,_ Kakarot. You love her a whole lot more than you have ever loved me." Bulma put extra emphasise on the _love _and _loved. _"And I'm not going to go throw away these last few years of trying to pick up the pieces of my heart to allow you to break it all over again when you see Chi-Chi and realise that she's the one you love."

Bulma looked back at Kakarot and saw that he was fully focused on the words she was saying. She changed her position so that she was facing him. "I wasn't lying when I said that it took all of these years to get over you, because it did. Even now, I'm still not fully over you but I accept the fact that we'll never be together. There will always be a place in my heart for you, but you have to realise Kakarot that we're not meant to be together."

Kakarot frowned. "Is there someone else… or…"

She shook her head and smiled sadly, "No, there's no one else. There never has been and probably never will be."

"Why?"

Bulma could feel a lump rising in her throat and her eyes started to sting. "I'm bipolar, Kakarot." It felt strange admitting the truth. "People tend to find those who have mental problems… weird. In my case, people don't look at me the way they used to. Instead of lust or adoration or love, they pity me or find me disgusting."

Kakarot clenched his fists, "You are not disgusting or weird! You're beautiful Bulma and I'm sorry that I broke your heart."

"I know you are," She smiled sadly at him. "You tell me all the time that you're sorry."

"Are we still friends?" He asked hesitantly even though she could tell by the look on his face that he didn't want to know the answer if it was bad.

"Of course we are! We're still best friends." She smiled when she saw him relax but then she frowned. "However, I'm not going to lie to you though and say that it's always okay, because it's not. There are days when things get awkward and there are days when I'm just about ready to kill you. Sometimes there are days when Chi-Chi wants to kill _me_." She chuckled.

He frowned again. "I would never let anyone harm you. Even if Chi-Chi is my mate, I will not let her hurt you."

"Don't worry about me." Bulma returned his frown but then smirked, "Chi-Chi isn't a fighter so she could never harm me. Well, physically she can't."

"What do you mean, 'physically'?"

Bulma shrugged as though she couldn't care less, "Some of the things she says gets to me." Bulma hoped and prayed that Chi-Chi wouldn't be seeing all of this. It was one thing to open up to Kakarot, but it would be downright humiliating if Chi-Chi was watching.

He still didn't fully believe he was bonded mates with someone who wasn't Bulma. How could someone he was supposedly in love with hurt his best, most precious friend in such a way? "What does she say?" Kakarot asked angrily.

"It doesn't matter what she has said because it's in the past, just like _we_ are in the past."

Kakarot nodded although he still seemed angry. Then something hit him and his expression softened, "You're bipolar?"

"Yeah," Bulma nodded, "Apparently it's possible that it can be passed down from parent to child."

He grabbed hold of her face with one hand and smiled at her when she looked at him, "You're still beautiful to me. Nothing could ever change that." Kakarot then pressed his lips to her forehead and hugged her.

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**A/N - Okay so I've been having a really crappy day and my mood just keeps going from bad to worse, so I decided to take it out on Bulma... like I always do. **

**Anyways, I'm sure some of you hate me for the little lemon between Bulma and Kakarot (if you can even call it that) but I'm more than sure that you're all happy to find out that she has grown up and accepted the fact that she'll never be with him. **

**I don't really have much else to say, but I was reading a fanfic the other day and the author recommended songs to their viewers. I might actually start to do that, but I warn you all, my taste in music is all over the place.**

**Saying that, you should all go listen to Face Down by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. **

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**Preview for the next chapter: **

_Bulma was led in bed one day when her door slammed open. She looked up with wide eyes as a very annoyed Saiyan Prince folded his arms over his chest and glared at her. Bulma sat up in bed and changed her shocked expression to match his annoyed one._

_"What do you want Vegeta?" Bulma asked after a minute of silence before she narrowed her eyes at him. "And I hope you're going to fix my door."_

_He ignored her absurd second sentence as he narrowed his eyes. "What I want is for that idiot to stop obsessing over you, it's making me sick!" Vegeta answered through clenched teeth. "He's a Saiyan warrior, but with the way he is acting so sentimental and foolish, he may as well be a human."_

_Bulma also narrowed her eyes. "I wish I could make him see the truth but I can't! I don't know why he can't feel Chi-Chi in his mind and I don't know how to make him stop. Hitting his head on the training room floor the other week must have caused some sort of memory loss like when he was a child, I can't just change all of that just to please you." Bulma pulled the covers off of her body as she stood up and put her hands on her hips, "Why do you care so much, anyway?"_

_"I don't." Vegeta said as he clenched his fists. "It annoys me how emotional he is being."_

_She smirked, "Of course it does Vegeta." Bulma then winked, "It doesn't have anything to do with the fact that it's me he's obsessed with, does it?"_

_Vegeta's eyes widened, "No! It does not!" He yelled as he glared at the blue haired woman. _

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**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	15. Opening Up

**Chapter 15 – Opening Up**

Things were awkward once again on the ship.

Even though they had told Kakarot that he was mated to someone else who wasn't Bulma, he didn't fully believe them. He would watch Bulma as though she was a Goddess and it was obvious that he believed _she_ was the girl who he should have bonded with. His eyes held only adoration and love whenever he spoke to her or whenever he saw her and because of that, Bulma rarely left her room.

She had taken to training during the night and either sleeping or trying to sleep during the day. It was too hard to see the looks he gave her, especially when she knew that it would all change when he saw Chi-Chi again. It was what had happened the last time.

So when she was certain that Kakarot had gone to bed, she would go to the training rooms and train until the early hours of the morning. When Vegeta would come into the training room for his morning, pre-breakfast training, she would leave. Bulma knew that he preferred to train alone so after one of their arguments, she would leave, try to eat something, stock up on drinks for the entire day and then go back to her room.

In just over four months, they should be back at headquarters but Bulma wasn't sure if she could keep her resolve for that long. It was too hard. She wanted nothing more than to let him love her and to let him take her again, but there was that voice in the back of her mind telling her that it would be wrong and it made her feel guilty for even considering the idea.

Bulma was led in bed one day when her door slammed open. She looked up with wide eyes as a _very _annoyed Saiyan Prince folded his arms over his chest and glared at her. Bulma sat up in bed and changed her shocked expression to match his annoyed one.

"What do you want Vegeta?" Bulma asked after a minute of silence before she narrowed her eyes at him. "And I hope you're going to fix my door."

He ignored her absurd second sentence as he narrowed his eyes. "What I want is for that idiot to stop obsessing over you, it's making me sick!" Vegeta answered through clenched teeth. "He's a Saiyan warrior, but with the way he is acting so sentimental and foolish, he may as well be a human."

Bulma narrowed her eyes even further as she growled. "I wish I could make him see the truth but I can't! I don't know why he can't feel Chi-Chi in his mind and I don't know how to make him stop. Hitting his head on the training room floor the other week must have caused some sort of memory loss like when he was a child, I can't just change all of that just to please you." Bulma pulled the covers off of her body as she stood up and put her hands on her hips, "Why do _you_ care so much, anyway?"

"I don't." Vegeta said as he clenched his fists. "It annoys me how emotional he is being."

She smirked, "Of course it does Vegeta." Bulma then winked, "It doesn't have anything to do with the fact that it's _me _he's obsessed with, does it?"

Vegeta's eyes widened, "No! It does not!" He yelled as he glared at the blue haired woman.

He was lying. For some reason that he could not explain, it _did_ annoy him how the third class watched or looked at her. It _did_ annoy him how she would be saddened by his affections for her. More than anything, it annoyed him how she would spend all of her time in her room. He had grown to enjoy the arguments they had daily. They entertained him and kept him from growing bored and now that the woman stayed in her room all day long, he was growing increasingly bored and he didn't like it. On more than one occasion, he kept coming close to blasting the third class into another dimension. However, since he was one of the very few pure blooded Saiyans left, he decided against it.

Bulma rolled her eyes but then narrowed them once again. "Whatever and I'm serious about you fixing my door, you know. I've got better things to do then fixing everything that you break."

"I am a Prince, not some servant." Vegeta growled as he looked out of the corner of his eye at the door. He hadn't realised he used so much strength but apparently he had since the door was half hanging off of its hinges with a dent of his footprint in the middle of it.

"Yeah and I'm no servant either!" Bulma growled back at him.

The feeling of a challenge once again made itself known as they both stood their ground. Neither of them backed down as they glared at each other. Bulma had her hands on her hips and was slightly leaning forward whilst Vegeta had his arms folded over his chest with his legs apart as he stood tall.

"Then stop hiding in your room and only coming out to cook our meals." Vegeta said in disgust. "With the way you're acting, you may as well be a servant."

Bulma clenched her fists tightly at his words. She was no servant and she was not hiding! She just didn't want to see Kakarot and she couldn't exactly let them starve, could she? No, she couldn't. Bulma had tried to do something like that on the first day she kept herself in her room, but it was pointless. First, Kakarot came knocking and asking when dinner would be ready and then not long after that, Raditz came in to ask. Eventually, Vegeta came bursting into her room, very much like he had only moments ago, and demanded that she made him food. When she refused – mainly because of his tone of voice and the way he thought he could push her around – he threw her over his shoulder like she was nothing more than a sack of potatoes and forced her to cook his dinner.

"I can't stand the way he looks at me." Bulma sighed as she unclenched her fists and fell backwards against her bed. She looked up at the ceiling in defeat. "He looks at me like I'm some sort of Angel but when we get back to headquarters he'll see Chi-Chi and will immediately look at her like she's a Goddess."

Vegeta inwardly groaned. He did _not_ want to be listening to this crap but if he wanted his dinner and for her to stop hiding out in her room, then he knew he had no other choice but to listen to her complaints. "What makes you think he'll feel that way?" Vegeta asked through clenched teeth.

Bulma looked up and was surprised to see Vegeta still stood there. She could tell by the look on his face that this was a conversation he didn't want to have so she was grateful that he was actually listening. "It's what happened before." Bulma said as she patted the space next to her on the bed. She was going to take full advantage of their situation. Bulma knew that this would most likely be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

He looked unsure before he finally decided to sit down beside her. His muscles were tensed as he looked at her curiously. Vegeta couldn't help but wonder if she was going to break down and start crying again like she had done that day in the training room.

"I thought he loved me and I thought I could trust him," Bulma said quietly as she continued her story. She knew she wouldn't get any words of comfort or pity from Vegeta and she was more than happy about it. Pity was the last thing she wanted. "I trusted him and gave him everything. I gave him my heart, my love, my trust, my virginity…" Bulma sighed as rubbed her neck. "He took it all and then married a girl – who is also from Earth – not too long after.

"That was when I realised I was alone and had nothing." She sat up and looked into his empty eyes. His eyes were always empty, but she was learning to read them and also the movements of his tail gave away his emotions. Bulma could see the curiosity in his eyes, so she continued. "I kept wondering to myself: 'How can a girl who isn't a fighter, who _doesn't_ have a title and who is younger than I am, have what I cannot?'"

Vegeta frowned in concentration. He had been thinking the same thing as her. So far, from what he had been told by Raditz, Kakarot's mate was no warrior, she wasn't a challenge and she was pathetically weak. This woman sat beside him, however, was a challenge both verbally and physically, she was a trained warrior and had been in a few battles and she was strong. Not as strong as he was, but for a human, she was extremely powerful.

"I was empty and I felt completely alone." Bulma looked down at her legs as she spoke about how she felt. She knew for a fact that Vegeta hated all weaknesses, but it felt good to get it all off of her chest and she felt comfortable speaking to him about it. She knew he wouldn't pity her like the others. "But it was bearable until we reached the planet Shinsei."

He watched with a guarded expression as her blue eyes looked up to him again. Vegeta knew of that planet, it had been his last successful purging mission and he had completely lost himself in the destruction. Also, he knew what it was like to feel empty and alone. Vegeta had spent most of his life feeling empty and alone, but he had grown accustomed to it. Apparently, this woman had not.

Bulma searched his eyes as she continued, "When I saw how they died, that was when it hit me. Life is short and you only get to live it once. The thought kept replaying itself in my mind as I saw more and more of the bodies." So far, she couldn't see any hint of remorse or shame in his eyes and Bulma found herself feeling saddened by the fact that he didn't feel guilty about murdering all of those people, but she didn't want him to leave. She didn't want to be alone anymore.

"It wasn't until I was knocked to the ground and attacked by Raditz that it truly struck me that I could die any day… It scared me." Bulma looked up to see his questioning and curious eyes again staring intently again. "It hurt to know that I was completely alone when I should be back on Earth and living my life. I should be with someone who loves me or at least cares for me and I should be out having fun with friends and growing up like a normal teenager. I shouldn't be travelling across the Universe as a rebel searching for you."

Vegeta knew that she didn't mean it in a bad or insulting way. In fact, the way she said it was sadly. It was as though she felt like her life had been wasted on going on pointless missions, only to find nothing but dead bodies and receiving horrible memories that would haunt her for the rest of her life. He knew that feeling. Vegeta didn't enjoy killing innocent people. Well, not until recently when he just stopped caring. He was always haunted by the things he had done and he was always tortured in his nightmares as he would relive each and every one of his beatings.

Bulma sighed again as she led back down on the bed and stared intently at the ceiling. She raised her arms up and placed them above her head as she spoke as though this was a casual subject. "Then during a training session with Raditz, I got injured pretty badly. During my time in the tank when I could do nothing more than heal and think, something just… snapped."

He raised an eyebrow at her. As he looked over her body, he could see no scars. He would never have thought that she had ever spent time in a tank. Hell, when he first saw her, he didn't even think that she was a warrior. Vegeta watched as Bulma ran her hands through her hair and then narrowed her eyes as though she was carefully choosing her next words or trying to figure out what exactly happened. She dropped her hands back onto the bed. His eyes followed each and every one of her movements carefully and intently. For some reason, he found her intriguing.

"Suddenly, it was like I just didn't care anymore. I- I don't know how to explain it. If you asked the others, they would say that I wasn't _me_ anymore." She paused as she looked intently at the ceiling.

"And if I ask you?" Vegeta asked. It was the first thing he had said throughout her entire one-sided conversation but he couldn't help but want to know more. It was weird to him how they both felt the same things. Sure, she didn't go about killing people because of how she felt, but that wasn't the point. They both felt empty, alone and like they just didn't care.

Bulma smiled slightly as she sat back up and looked at Vegeta. Having someone ask her what she thought was a strange yet enjoyable feeling because lately, everyone simply presumed she was feeling a certain way. "If you asked me, I would say that I'm just a girl who is trying to live a life she never got to live. I just want to feel something, so I did and said whatever I wanted." She then chuckled, "I snapped at Chi-Chi, attacked Kakarot, had an emotional breakdown and then hit on Raditz."

Vegeta's eyes widened. He had not been told about _that_. But then again, she said that she had only hit on him – whatever that meant – she hadn't said anything about sleeping with him.

"I know what you're probably thinking." Bulma rolled her eyes as soon as she saw his expression. Her face became empty and her eyes were fiercely guarded. "Yes, I slept with Kakarot and Raditz but I don't regret it. For the first time in such a long time, I felt wanted. Nothing else happened between me and Raditz. Apparently according to Kakarot, Raditz is an unworthy male, which, by the way, I think is completely unfair of Kakarot to say or think considering who his mate is. At least Raditz is a warrior and wouldn't die if I was too rough and at least I wouldn't have to hold back during sex, like Kakarot does with Chi-Chi.

"I had only wanted hot, no strings attached sex." Bulma shook her head in disbelief as Vegeta stared at her with wide eyes.

He had never heard her speaking in such an open, free and vulgar way before. Again, he found that he didn't feel entirely disgusted knowing that Bulma had slept with Raditz or Kakarot. Sure, it was a little… strange since Bulma had given him the impression that she was independent and deserved to be with someone who had a higher rank, but it could be worse, he supposed, she could have slept with some human weakling. Vegeta shook the thoughts from his head. He didn't care who she slept with.

"But no, apparently the moment I show _any_ signs of living my own life, I'm mentally ill."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her, silently telling her to explain herself. Raditz had also explained to him about Bulma being bipolar. At the time, Vegeta had pretended to know what it meant so that he didn't look like an idiot but it had been months now and he still didn't know what it meant.

"I'm bipolar." Bulma shrugged casually, her eyes still empty. "It's a mental illness where I have severe mood swings. One day or week I'll feel depressed, have zero energy and I would just feel horrible, _horrible_ feelings of self-doubt, sadness and hopelessness and I will be delusional, pessimistic and I would feel as though I can't eat or sleep. The pessimistic feelings often make me feel as though I _need_ to feel wanted and… I would do anything to have that feeling.

"However there are other days or weeks when I would feel the complete opposite. Instead of feeling as though I have no energy, I would feel full of it – sometimes maybe even too much energy. Also, instead of the feelings of self-doubt and the other depressing feelings, I will feel elated, have feelings of self-importance, get easily distracted and become easily irritated or agitated. But that isn't the worst thing about the 'mania' side of bipolar. I make decisions that could have pretty bad consequences and I would just do things that are just completely out of character." She spoke about the symptoms as though she was reading them off of a list and as though she wasn't really talking about herself.

Vegeta didn't interrupt her once as she spoke of her mental illness. He was glad that he was finally finding out what being bipolar meant. He watched intently as she frowned at the symptoms or things she would feel or get. Vegeta had to hold back a frown of his own at the way she spoke about her illness. She spoke as though she wasn't the one who was bipolar. Was she in denial?

"I just hate feeling controlled. They tell me that I need to take some pill every day for possibly the rest of my life, but I don't want that. It's already bad enough that everyone looks at me differently." Bulma frowned again and clenched her fists tightly. "They used to respect me and look at me with lust, envy and adoration but now," Bulma scoffed, "They look at me like I'm a piece of glass that will break at the littlest of things. Nobody looks at me with want or envy or adoration anymore, instead, the look at me with pity or disgust."

He also knew exactly what _that_ felt like. Vegeta may have been young when he had been sent away to go and serve Frieza as his slave, but he had grown used to the looks of respect. Now, however, people only looked at him in fear and pity. He despised pity and although he liked that people feared him, he preferred it when he was respected. Now, he was seen as nothing more than one of Frieza's slaves who did everything that was asked of him. That was another thing he hated. He hated feeling as though he was being controlled.

Bulma shook the dark thoughts from her head. "When I tried to get away from them all, it was Raditz who stopped me. If it hadn't of been for him, I would probably be lost in space somewhere."

She then stood up and walked over to her broken door, making a mental note to fix it. She indicated with her head before saying, "Come on, I know you only sat through all of that because you're hungry. You Saiyans would do anything for food." She chuckled.

Vegeta stood up silently and followed her out of her bedroom. He was grateful that she didn't say anything foolish that would most likely bruise his pride. '_Perhaps this woman isn't as bad as I thought…_'

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**A/N - Woo! Vegeta and Bulma moment. Who would have guessed that the Saiyan Prince would _listen_ to Bulma's problems? ;) **

**I think Vegeta would actually be a pretty good listener. Sure, he would probably mock you, but at least he wouldn't pity you and he would tell you exactly what he thought**

**IT'S MY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEKEND! I'm going to be 17. Yay. **

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**Preview for the next chapter:**

_Before she knew what she was doing and before anyone could react, she lunged. The sound of her fist connected with his cheek seemed to echo throughout the room. Behind her, Kakarot and Raditz both stood shocked and frozen in their places whilst Nappa shook with his anger and went to attack her. Just as he was about to punch her, Vegeta glared at him._

_"Nappa," Vegeta barked, "How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of it?"_

_"But Prince Vegeta, she attacked you!" Nappa almost yelled as his eyes widened with his shock._

_"She can do me no harm." Vegeta rolled his eyes and then looked straight at Bulma with an unreadable expression. "Now everyone, get out. I need to teach the little human a lesson."_

_Kakarot and Raditz's eyes widened. What was he going to do to her? They couldn't just leave her in there with him! What if he killed her? Or what if he injured her so badly that she wasn't even recognisable or able to move anymore?_

_When no one moved, Vegeta turned around and glared at them all. "I said get out!" He yelled._

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**So there you go! **

**You should all go listen to... Want Me Like That by James Bourne. ****He's the guy out of Busted and I just love him. He's so adorable.**

**ANYWAYS, HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	16. Pushed Too Far?

**Chapter 16 – Pushed Too Far?**

Bulma sat down in her usual seat at the table. She wasn't sure why she was there but as she stole a quick glance at a certain Saiyan, Bulma knew exactly why she was there.

It had been about three hours since her conversation with Vegeta and since then, she felt somewhat stronger. It was as though she fed off of his fearless, 'I don't give a damn' attitude. However, whenever she looked straight ahead, all she saw was that look in Kakarot's eyes. It was the look he had given her many times before he met Chi-Chi and Bulma wished she could just run away with him or something along those lines. She wished that she could just take off with Kakarot and never return to headquarters, but she knew it would be wrong. He had a wife and a son, so what kind of person would that make her if she actually did that? Guilt gnawed at Bulma for even considering running away with him.

She looked back down at her plate as she ate at a faster pace than usual. Bulma knew that it didn't do any good to ignore your problems, but right now, she didn't care. All she did care about was getting away from Kakarot before her resolve completely breaks apart. After eating, she dumped the remains of her dinner in the bin, put her dish into the dishwasher and left to go back to her room.

As soon as she was stood outside of her room, she could feel her annoyance growing and her left eye started to twitch. She had completely forgotten that her door had been broken and now that she remembered about it, she was not happy. Bulma narrowed her eyes as she glared at the broken door.

Bulma had two options. Option one: she could yell, scream and shout at Vegeta until he fixed it. She knew that he had sensitive hearing, so it would only be so long until he finally cracked and fixed it. That was of course, unless he wanted her loud, high pitched voice to make his ears bleed. Option two: Bulma could fix the door herself to avoid any hassle or arguments, but where was the fun in that? She liked annoying Vegeta or arguing with him. It stopped her from getting bored. Bulma narrowed her eyes again before smirking to herself.

She turned around quickly and stomped down the hallway. When she found that none of the Saiyans were still eating, she knew that they would be in the training room. Bulma shook her head. How could they train after eating so much? It made her feel sick just thinking about it! Bulma shook her head again to shake the thoughts from her head. She _had_ to find a way to stop her mind from wandering otherwise she'll end up like her father!

When she was outside of the training room, Bulma smirked once again before an angry look graced her features. She kicked the door open very much like Vegeta had with her door only hours before and looked around the room until she found him. When she finally saw Vegeta, she glared at him.

"Vegeta!" Bulma yelled so loudly that her voice shook with the strain.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. He already had a good enough idea what her problem was, but he decided to humour her. "What do you want, woman?"

"I _want_ you to fix my door!" She said angrily as she stomped into the room.

By now, she had gained everyone's attention. Mainly because Kakarot had been sparring with Vegeta so when he stopped, so did Kakarot, but also because Nappa was nosey and way too over-protective of Vegeta. Bulma inwardly rolled her eyes as he glared at her.

"Why the hell would I do that?" Vegeta looked as though she had asked him to do something that was forbidden and disgusting. "I am not a servant!"

"Maybe because you're the one who broke it when you barged into my room earlier," Bulma narrowed her eyes as she stood with only a few inches between them.

"Why was he in your room?" Kakarot frowned.

Bulma rolled her eyes but other than that, she didn't look away from Vegeta as they both stared each other down. The feeling of a challenge returned tenfold. "He came into my room to get me to make dinner. Besides Kakarot, what I do is of no concern to you. You have a mate, so stay out of it."

He frowned again. Kakarot could understand what she was saying, but he still didn't believe that he had mated with someone who wasn't Bulma. Seeing her act this way hurt him.

"I'm not going to do a servant's job." Vegeta said in a strangely calm voice.

"You shouldn't have broken my door then!" Bulma folded her arms over her chest and glared at Vegeta.

"I'll do whatever the hell I want, woman!" Vegeta shouted angrily.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Do whatever the hell you want _after_ you fix my door."

"Fix it yourself if you're such a _genius_!" Vegeta said the word mockingly.

"You need to take responsibility for your actions!" Bulma yelled. She did _not_ like that her intelligence had just been insulted.

"It's a fucking door!" Vegeta shouted in disbelief.

Bulma threw her hands up and brought them down to her sides, making a loud smacking sound when they connected. "That's not the point! You broke it so you should fix it!"

"I will do no such thing; now stop interrupting my training with your pathetic blabbering." Vegeta turned his back on her and folded his arms over his chest.

In response, Bulma frowned and lowered her head slightly. That had not been the response she wanted from him. She wanted him to try and prove to her that he was the alpha around here. Well, he kind of did, but it was somehow different than usual. He didn't seem to be as into their argument as he usually was. It was almost as if he was giving her the cold shoulder. Bulma frowned again. By 'pathetic blabbering', did he mean what she had told him earlier? Was he telling her that she was pathetic for opening up to him?

Bulma clenched her fists as her features twisted with her anger. She couldn't believe she had opened up to him like that! She couldn't believe that he was calling her pathetic. Bulma knew that she wouldn't receive pity from Vegeta, but she hadn't expected him to treat her this way.

Before she knew what she was doing and before anyone could react, she lunged. The sound of her fist connected with his cheek seemed to echo throughout the training room. Behind her, Kakarot and Raditz both stood shocked and frozen in their places whilst Nappa shook with his anger and went to attack her. Just as he was about to punch her, Vegeta glared at him.

"Nappa," Vegeta barked, "How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of it?"

"But Prince Vegeta, she attacked you!" Nappa almost yelled as his eyes widened with his shock.

"She can do me no harm." Vegeta rolled his eyes and then looked straight at Bulmawith an unreadable expression. "Now everyone, get out. I need to teach the little human a lesson."

Kakarot and Raditz's eyes widened. What was he going to do to her? They couldn't just leave her in there with him! What if he killed her? Or what if he injured her so badly that she wasn't even recognisable or able to move anymore? Her parents and Bardock would kill them.

When no one moved, Vegeta turned around and glared at them all. "I said get out!" He yelled.

They all did as he asked and left Bulma with the clearly pissed off Saiyan Prince. Kakarot just hoped that he wouldn't hurt her too badly.

"Vegeta…" Bulma breathed as she took a step back.

The look he was giving her was terrifying. She couldn't even see what he was thinking. All Bulma could see, was that he was very, _very_ angry. His scowl looked as though it was imprinted on his face and his fists were clenched so tightly that his palms were bleeding. His whole body trembled as he tried to contain his anger.

"Woman," He growled.

Vegeta's tail unwound from his waist and lashed out behind him. Bulma took another step back as he took a step forward. Her eyes were wide with fear and her legs were stiff as she tried to put more distance between them. Bulma felt like she had never been so afraid in her entire life! But at the same time, she could feel a sort of thrill coming from it. She could feel adrenaline starting to pump through her veins.

"You dare to hit the Prince of all Saiyans?" Vegeta demanded in a low and threatening voice.

Bulma took a deep breath as she stopped taking steps back and folded her arms over her chest. She would probably regret doing it, but all worry left her mind as only one thought repeated itself: she was not going to feel or be intimidated. "You pissed me off." She shrugged.

He raised an eyebrow at Bulma. "Pissed you off?" Vegeta scoffed, "I pissed you off so you thought you could hit me and get away with it?"

"I didn't even realise I had swung for you until I actually hit you," Bulma shrugged again as though it was no big deal and then smirked, "but that doesn't mean that I regret it. In fact, I would gladly do it again."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at Bulma as he took another step forward. "Is that so?" He said in a calm and low voice.

Without looking Vegeta in the eye, Bulma closed the small distance that was keeping them apart. When she was stood with only a couple of inches between them, she finally looked up at Vegeta and smirked. She could see the curiosity and confusion in his eyes as his tail flicked from side to side behind him. Bulma smiled as she placed a hand onto the cheek she had punched only a couple of moments ago. There weren't even any signs that she had hit him. No red mark, no bruise, no nothing.

Bulma closed her eyes as she brought her face closer to his. She was surprised when she heard a deep inhalation coming from Vegeta and her surprise only grew when Vegeta closed the distance between their lips and crushed his lips against hers. Bulma gasped against his lips as an electrifying feeling passed through them. It was like nothing she had ever felt before!

With that thought, she ended the kiss.

Was it bad that she liked that kiss? She shoved the question out of her mind. Of course it was! He's a murderer. Vegeta killed people without honour and without mercy. As far as she could tell, he didn't even regret the wrongs he had done. But the soft feeling and the taste of his lips still lingered on hers and it made her want to kiss him again.

Bulma opened her eyes to see that Vegeta was looking at her with once again, confusion written all over his face. She was quite surprised that he was showing his emotions for once since he usually wore his empty mask that was hard to read.

It was no secret that Bulma thought Vegeta was attractive. Hell, you would have to be crazy _not_ to think that! What with his muscular build and unique hair. Not to mention his dark eyes that just made you feel like you were falling into a bottomless pit.

Just as she was about to say something, the door opened revealing Nappa stood there. He narrowed his eyes at their closeness but didn't mutter a word as Bulma silently left the training rooms, leaving Vegeta looking stunned and confused.

* * *

**A/N - I REACHED 100 REVIEWS! Thank you all so much! It's the first time I've ever gotten 100 reviews and it means a lot. **

**I'm not too sure if I liked this chapter... Whilst I was editing it, I couldn't concentrate on it at all so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes!**

**I have a feeling that I may be going a little over the top with Bulma's mood swings... but again, I have no experience whatsoever when it comes to bipolar. I've tried my hardest to do as some of you have said, but it's kind of hard. **

**QUESTION!**

**If you could bring back any villain in dragonball z and turn them into a good guy, who would you choose? **

**Personally, I'd choose Raditz. I think he'd be like a joker kind of guy. If you haven't already noticed, Frieza is my favourite bad guy. Haha, he's just so random. I think this was a scene back when Captain Ginyu retrieved the dragonballs when Frieza said this:**

_**"If you were a dog, I would rub you belly. If you were a cat, I would give you warm milk until you started to purr. But since you are neither, I will just congratulate you on a job well done."**_

* * *

**Preview for the next chapter:**

_During the travel, there wasn't a single plant, river or living species to be seen but as soon as they reached their destination, the presence of all the people made them all feel uncomfortably closed in._

_Bulma closed her eyes and took a deep breath before dropping down from the sky. The amount of people was putting her on edge and it felt as though everyone was staring at her. Her breathing quickened as she opened her eyes to see that everyone was indeed looking at her with what appeared to her as disgust. Bulma took a step closer to Kakarot in an attempt to hide herself but nothing worked against the overwhelming feeling of being watched and judged._

_The three Saiyans __watched silently as she blasted off into the sky. None of them could understand what had just happened and it left Kakarot feeling more confused than ever. _

_Bulma tore through the skies as though she was being chased by Frieza himself. It felt like her entire body was shaking and her mind was racing. No matter how far she was pushing herself, the feeling of judgement just would not pass. _

_Bulma didn't slow down for a second as she flew through the ships doors. However, when she slammed straight through the door to the control panel's room, Bulma lost control and crashed into the ground, bringing a box of tools down with her. Luckily, nothing hit her but she didn't feel like moving. Bulma just wanted to lie there and calm her racing heart, breathing and mind down. She didn't even bat an eyelid as someone darted into the room, looking ready for battle. S__he simply whispered, "Please, leave me alone."_

_"What?" Vegeta asked as he took in her state. _

* * *

**So there you go.**

**Also, thank you all for the birthday wishes!**

**Recommended song... Never Too Late by Three Days Grace. **

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	17. Please, Just Leave Me Alone

**Chapter 17 – Please, Just Leave Me Alone.**

Bulma sighed as she pulled a dark hood over her head.

They had to land on a planet for more fuel and supplies for their ship and because of the Saiyans' mutiny against Frieza they had to keep a ridiculouslylow profile. It was no secret that Frieza had spies everywhere and it hadn't exactly been kept quiet when his favourite pet rebelled and killed Zarbon as well as Dodoria. Frieza had been beyond furious, he was livid.

Also, since too many people would recognise Vegeta – mostly because of his gravity defying hair and short temper, not to mention that he's the Saiyan Prince and _always_ liked to remind people of that fact – he was staying on the ship. Nappa had wanted to stay with him, but Vegeta told him to more or less fuck off. They could have made Vegeta wear a cloak to hide his hair, but it was just too big. The hood wouldn't even have gone to the top of his pointed spikes.

It was easier with Kakarot's and Raditz's hair. Kakarot's hair wasn't as tall as Vegeta's and Raditz could easily cover his with the cloak since it was just mostly length.

Neither Bulma nor Vegeta had spoken about what happened in the training rooms. However, that didn't stop Bulma from wanting to go further with him. He had awoken some kind of feeling inside of her the second their lips touched and she wanted to feel it again. Bulma couldn't even explain what she had felt; all she did know was that she liked it. It was different from what she felt with Kakarot and Raditz. She had felt more than just wanted; it was like she was _needed_.

"Are you ready?" Kakarot asked as he turned around to look at Bulma.

They had landed on the planet about ten minutes ago. Usually, they would have left the ship straight away but they had to make sure that there wouldn't be some sort of ambush.

"Yeah," Bulma nodded once before opening the doors.

The planet seemed like a desert. The temperature was high and there was nothing but sand on the ground. Bulma frowned. Surely they hadn't landed on the wrong planet? She walked over to the control panel and her frown deepened. They were on the right planet, but it seemed deserted. The last planet they had stopped at for supplies had been jam-packed with people and stores. Bulma closed her eyes as she focused. A second later, she opened her eyes and inwardly sighed with relief. It would have been embarrassing to admit it if she had in fact, landed on a deserted planet.

She and the Saiyans (except for Vegeta) stepped off of the ship and when they were far enough from the ship, they blasted off into the skies.

It took well over an hour before any of them spotted any signs of life.

During the travel to the markets, there wasn't a single plant, river or living species to be seen but as soon as they reached their destination, the presence of all the people made them all feel uncomfortably closed in.

Bulma closed her eyes and took a deep breath before dropping down from the sky. The amount of people was putting her on edge and it felt as though everyone was staring at her. Her breathing quickened as she opened her eyes to see that everyone was indeed looking at her with what appeared to her as disgust. Bulma took a step closer to Kakarot in an attempt to hide herself but nothing worked against the overwhelming feeling of being watched and judged.

"Kakarot," Bulma breathed, never taking her eyes off of the unfamiliar faces. "Do you know what to get?"

Kakarot looked down at Bulma and his eyes widened a fraction at her wide scared eyes, pale face and quick breathing. He could hear her heart beating erratically. Her hood hid a good portion of her face with shadows, but because of his Saiyan senses, he could see everything perfectly.

"Bulma what's wrong?" Kakarot frowned as he turned around fully to examine her. Beside him, the two older Saiyans also stopped and stood either side of Bulma in case of any surprise attacks.

"I can't," She whispered as her eyes darted to the hundreds, if not thousands of people. "I need to go back to the ship."

Raditz turned his head slightly and raised an eyebrow at the girl. "But you're the only one who can get the fuel we need."

She shook her head and closed her eyes to try and block them out. "No, I'm not. Kakarot knows which fuel our ship needs, just please, let me go and make sure you buy food and water too."

"Why do you want to go back to the ship?" Nappa demanded suspiciously.

Bulma looked back at the crowds. "I can't handle their stares. They're all looking at me and judging me. I just… I can't. Please, _please_ let me go."

"Do you need anything personal?" Kakarot asked with the hint of a blush on his cheeks.

Despite the situation, Bulma gave him a small smile. "I can make do until we get back to headquarters but if it's not out of your way, then please get them."

Kakarot nodded once before looking at Raditz. "Will you take her back to the ship?"

"I'll be fine," Bulma said quickly. "The more of you that are out here, the quicker we can leave. Now go, I'll be fine."

The three Saiyans nodded to the human and watched silently as she blasted off into the sky. None of them could understand what had just happened and it left Kakarot feeling more confused than ever. Even though he still couldn't remember anything that had happened recently, Kakarot was certain that Bulma had never had a fear of people. Besides, she had said that they were all staring at her and judging her, but the thing was, nobody was looking at them. Not a single person.

Bulma tore through the skies as though she was being chased by Frieza himself. It felt like her entire body was shaking and her mind was racing. No matter how far she was pushing herself, the feeling of judgement just would not pass.

She was far enough now to see that she was completely alone but her heart was still beating fast. What the hell happened back there? What was happening to her? Her mother had never had a problem with crowds before, so why was she? Was it something to do with her being bipolar or something completely different?

O.o.O

Thumping.

It was one of the first things besides his own breathing that he had heard in the past hour and a half. Also, his scouter and senses were all going off, telling him that someone or something was approaching – fast.

Perhaps it was an enemy thinking that the ship was empty.

Vegeta smirked as he pushed up off of the ground but his smirk faltered when he heard a loud crash above him. No doubt if it was serious and the ship was broken, the woman would scream to the high heavens and destroy his eardrums.

His eyes narrowed.

Whoever it was is going to die.

O.o.O

The ship was in view now and Bulma felt relief flood through her veins like warmth on a cold night. Her hood on her cloak had long since blown backwards and her bun had become loose due to her speed.

It had only taken her half an hour to get back to the ship whereas it had taken her an hour to find the market. She wasn't looking forward to going back to the ship empty handed and alone, but it sure did beat having so many people staring at her.

Her heart rate and breathing hadn't slowed down. If anything, it had quickened even more due to how hard she was pushing herself to get to the ship. Bulma couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed. She knew it was dangerous to push herself too far, especially when she was alone on a desert-like planet, but the feeling was too strong and scaring the hell out of her.

Bulma didn't slow down for a second as she flew through the ships doors. However, when she slammed straight through the door to the control panel's room, Bulma lost control and crashed into the ground, bringing a box of tools down with her. Luckily, nothing hit her but she didn't feel like moving. Bulma just wanted to lie there and calm her racing heart, breathing and mind down. She didn't even bat an eyelid as someone darted into the room, looking ready for battle. She simply whispered, "Please, just leave me alone."

"What?" Vegeta asked as he took in her defeated state.

"V-Vegeta?" Bulma's eyes widened comically and she forced herself to sit up.

Vegeta scoffed as he folded his arms over his chest. "You look pathetic."

Bulma dropped back to the ground and stared up at the ceiling as her eyes watered. She shakily raised a hand to her eyes to wipe away whatever tears may fall. "Just leave me alone." Her voice was as shaky as her hands, no matter how hard she tried to sound intimidating.

"Where are the others?" Vegeta demanded.

No answer.

Vegeta looked down at the blue haired woman. What happened to her? Where did the stronger, fiercer woman go? Better yet, where were Nappa and the third classes? Had there been a fight? Was that why she looked broken and defeated? Had she been forced to leave them behind whilst they fought?

"Woman," Vegeta growled as he advanced on her. He pulled Bulma up from the ground by her cloak and dumped her into one of the chairs.

Still no answer.

By now, Vegeta was growing tired and annoyed with Bulma's silent tears. He didn't appreciate being ignored, especially not by some Earth woman who screwed with his head. Vegeta glared at Bulma as she breathed deeply in a sad attempt to calm herself.

"Woman!" He yelled angrily.

This time, Bulma's eyes widened as her head snapped up to look at the angry Saiyan Prince. She couldn't remember getting up off of the floor and sitting in the chair. She couldn't even remember speaking to Vegeta!

Her eyes darted across the room and her breathing calmed if only slightly at the sight of her beloved ship. She had many memories on this ship. Sure, not all were good but most of them were and she treasured them all. She would never get rid of her ship; it was like a baby to her. Bulma, her father and Bardock had all worked on it together before Bulma and Kakarot's first mission and she had been making regular updates to it ever since.

"Where are the others?" Vegeta repeated as he clenched his fists.

Bulma looked up at Vegeta's angry expression and cleared her throat before speaking. "Shopping," She said in a croaky voice.

Why was her throat so dry?

"Why did you return?" The Saiyan Prince narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her.

"They were making me uncomfortable." Bulma whispered as she rubbed her tired eyes.

She hadn't been sleeping well at all. No matter how hard she tried, she would never get more than a couple of hours sleep, if that. The truth was she hasn't really been able to sleep since she had slept on the sofa with Kakarot but asking him to stay with her right now wouldn't be such a good idea. The small hours of sleep she was getting weren't enough to keep her going for an entire day but somehow, she managed.

"Who?"

Bulma looked back up at Vegeta to see him showing shock. She had to hold back a scoff. Since when did the almighty Saiyan Prince ever show emotion? Seriously, she had to read the movements of his damn _tail_ and watch his eyes carefully just to be able to see a fraction of his mood. As far as she knew of, he didn't even show emotion in his sleep.

That was, if he ever slept.

At night, Bulma would hear him training. At first she thought nothing of it but after a couple of weeks, she started to realise that he trained for at least nineteen hours a day, gave himself only one hour break to eat and shower and only had four hours sleep. Were all Saiyans like that? Bulma shook her head. No, Kakarot wasn't like that. He had a more normal – if you could call it that – schedule and he never pushed himself too far… _sometimes_.

"Everyone," Bulma whispered quickly when she saw that he was still waiting for an answer. "All of their staring and judging was making me uncomfortable."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at the girl. Something as simple staring was making her uncomfortable? Thoughts went through his mind and he couldn't help but smirk at them. Vegeta thought it was about time for his revenge since she left him with an awkward conversation with Nappa after she had kissed him.

"I think I'm going to go back to my room now," Bulma whispered as she stood up.

Just as she was about to walk out of the door, something attached itself to her wrist and spun her back around so that she was face to face with Vegeta. Bulma looked down at her wrist even though she already knew it hadn't been his hand that stopped her. He had used his tail.

"What's the rush?" Vegeta said in a low voice as he took a step forward.

Bulma's heart started to race again. "N-nothing I just need to go… c-check… on… _something_." She lied horribly and inwardly groaned at how bad she sounded. Vegeta would have to be stupid to believe something like that!

Again, Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"Please, Vegeta." Bulma spoke quietly. Her voice and features showed how tired she really was. "Just let me go back to my room."

"How about I accompany you?" Vegeta gave her a devilish smirk that made her stomach flutter and her knees grow weak.

How was she supposed to say no to that? The look alone was enough to make her want to have him pin her down and do whatever the hell he wanted to do to her. Bulma took a deep breath as she looked into Vegeta's dark eyes. Without saying a word, Bulma lifted herself onto the tips of her toes and brushed her lips against his.

Vegeta's eyes widened in shock but after a couple of seconds, he closed them and started to kiss her back. His tail moved from its hold on her wrist and wrapped around her waist possessively as he pulled her closer. He heard her moan as he traced her lower lip with his tongue and a second later, her lips parted to allow him entry. Vegeta gripped her hips tightly as he pulled her flush against his body, causing another moan to come from Bulma.

She gasped as the backs of her legs bumped against a table and at the same time, Vegeta lifted her and sat her down on it. Bulma moved her hands from his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck as she arched into him.

The electrifying feeling was back once again and both of them found it extremely pleasurable and a hell of a lot stronger than it had been before.

One of Bulma's hands tangled itself into Vegeta's hair just as he started to lower the both of them onto the table. She parted her legs so that he would be between them and sighed at the feeling. Their usual training suits and Bulma's cloak were the only things that were keeping them apart.

As though he was reading her mind, Vegeta's hands started to wander from Bulma's hips and up to the cloak's button. In one swift movement, the cloak was gone.

Bulma's body shivered as the cool air hit her and she was quick to steal some of Vegeta's warmth as she pulled his body back against hers and recaptured his lips. Vegeta started to gently stroke her thigh with one of his hands whilst the other one made its way to her breast.

However before things could _really_ heat up and go further, the two broke apart at the feeling of three energy signals coming towards them.

The two stared at each other with obvious lust in their eyes as they panted for air. They wanted nothing more than to continue, but it would be humiliating for the others to walk in on them. Bulma could see that Vegeta had no idea what to do and she had to admit that seeing Vegeta look so confused was adorable and honourable. Who would have guessed that he would show her when he was confused? He was always too proud. The reminder of his pride and the fact that he was clearly _very_ turned on made Bulma inwardly sigh as she realised she would have to push aside her own pride.

Bulma smiled, "Just go."

Vegeta didn't need to be told twice as he disappeared to take a cold shower. Bulma took a deep breath to calm herself and as she felt her cheeks, she found that they felt warm under her touch. She was surprised and annoyed when the three Saiyans touched down outside of the ship. Apparently she and Vegeta had been making out for about an hour but to them, it felt like only seconds had passed. Damn it, she wanted to take things further with him!

The blue haired human folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes as the three Saiyans entered the room and picked up on the obvious smell of arousal. Kakarot's eyes held a glint in them that made Bulma immediately look away from him, Raditz looked confused whilst Nappa looked suspicious.

"Where's Prince Vegeta?" Nappa demanded.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "How the hell should I know? Check the training rooms or something."

Nappa huffed as he stormed out of the room and headed towards the training rooms. Bulma had to hold back another rolling of her eyes. Honestly, she couldn't believe how much Nappa depended on Vegeta. He followed each and every one of his orders and never thought for himself!

"Why does it smell like sex in here?" Raditz asked after a couple of moments of silence.

"Really? You're honestly asking _me_ that?" Bulma placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at Raditz. "I haven't done anything with anyone since that night with you. Haven't you realised how nearly the smallest of things turn me on?" It hurt her pride admitting such a thing, but for Vegeta, she decided to do so. His pride was much, _much_ bigger than hers.

Raditz smirked at the memory of their night together as he placed the capsule tins down onto the table behind Bulma, "Actually that wasn't the last time you did anything with anyone."

Bulma blushed. Did he know? Could he smell Vegeta's scent? Bulma looked into his eyes and was surprised to find him only a couple of inches away from her with a smirk on his face. Refusing to be intimidated, Bulma glared at him. "I hardly think that counts, Kakarot didn't know what he was doing and he would never have done it if he knew that he had a mate."

Behind Raditz, she saw Kakarot giving his brother a deadly glare. To save any sort of argument or fight breaking out, Bulma put more space between her and Raditz.

"It still counts," Raditz smirked again. "You didn't know what you were doing either when you let me touch you," He then leaned a little closer and whispered so that Kakarot wouldn't hear. "Well the first time you didn't."

Bulma sighed but simply patted his back. "Thanks for getting everything," Was all she said as she made her way to her bedroom.

* * *

**A/N - I got a private message the other day asking for a prequel for this fanfic to show more of Bulma and Kakarot's bond and how they grew up together. I have to say, it's a great idea, but will anyone want to read a GokuxBulma fanfiction? So far, I don't think any of you guys particularly care about the pairing, but since that bond is one of the most important parts of this story, I might actually do it. I'm going to give it a try anyways. There won't be any Raditz or Vegeta in it and it won't be incredibly long, maybe fifteen chapters at the most. It won't be coming out until this one is finished for obvious spoiler reasons. **

**You guys are so lucky. We just had our internet put back on like a couple of hours ago and I honestly thought I wasn't going to be able to update this week! For some reason, the idiots at the service place or whatever you call it decided to double our bill this month. Add that to phone bills, rent, food and other bits and you'll find out why we didn't pay in time. -.-**

**But it's all good now because it's back on and we're up to date with it all now!**

**Oh! Another question.**

**I'm currently writing a BulmaxVegeta fanfic, but it's going to be in five or six parts. You know, kind of like the Harry Potter series or the Twilight series or whatever? Anyways, in the first one, there won't be any romance between them in it, so that part won't be all that long. As the series goes on though, it's going to become more obvious that they have feelings for one another. But there's a twist! I'm not telling any of you what the twist is though! I'm about halfway through the first part, so when I get to like part two or three, I might start posting it. There will be some romance in it, just not between Bulma and Vegeta.**

**Oh, also, I'm not too sure whether feeling wary and scared around people is one of the things that come with being bipolar, but I've been reading personal stories about it online and somebody said that it is. I personally know what it's like to feel that way around people, so I thought I'd give it a try with Bulma. Sure, I don't fly off and then make out with Vegeta, but meh. **

* * *

**Preview for the next chapter:**

_Bulma looked to Vegeta for acceptance and he gave it to her. He may not say the words, but it was obvious that he didn't find her disgusting or as someone to pity._

_He made her feel alive._

_As his hands stroked her thighs and her chest pressed against his as she arched her back, Bulma felt feelings that she had never felt before stir inside of her._

_His aura alone made her feel fragile and nervous and for the first time in her life, she enjoyed the feeling of being weaker than someone. The way he touched her left trails of fire and his lips felt as though they were electrifying whatever part of her body that he kissed. Bulma wanted nothing more than to kiss him every second of every day._

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**Ohh, it's looking pretty racy for next week... or is it? ;-) **

**Anyways, I recommend you all go and listen to Cherry Bomb by The Runaways! I've had that song stuck in my head since I watched the film.**

**I think that's all I had to tell you guys... **

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	18. New Things

**Chapter 18 – New Things**

Bulma had taken to trying to sleep during the day and training during the night once again but for a completely different reason this time.

After she trained, Vegeta would arrive an hour early for his pre-breakfast training and the two would spend an hour making out like a pair of horny teenagers. They didn't really speak much; they simply let their bodies do the talking. It never went passed making out or simply kissing, mostly because they would want it to last a little longer than an hour therefore they would have to wait until they got back to headquarters. Also, the thought of doing it on the training room ground wasn't exactly appealing to either of them. Just the thought of what could be waiting for them made them impatient and filled them with anticipation and excitement.

They would both get almost painfully aroused during their sessions, but they didn't stop them. Bulma would struggle to keep her moans low enough so that no other Saiyans would hear them and Vegeta would struggle with not tearing her clothes off and taking her right there and then.

Neither of them really wanted to tell the others. Hell, they weren't even officially together! Bulma didn't even know what they were. All she _did_ know was that she really liked whatever they were.

His touches felt as though they were releasing tension from her body whilst at the same time adding their own tension. Just his presence made her feel comforted, safe and aroused and she would want nothing more than to wrap her legs around him and let him take her whenever he wanted. Bulma looked to Vegeta for acceptance and he gave it to her. He may not say the words, but it was obvious that he didn't find her disgusting or as someone to pity.

He made her feel alive.

As his hands stroked her thighs and her chest pressed against his as she arched her back, Bulma felt feelings that she had never felt before stir inside of her.

His aura alone made her feel fragile and nervous and for the first time in her life, she enjoyed the feeling of being weaker than someone. The way he touched her left trails of fire on her skin and his lips felt as though they were electrifying whatever part of her body that he kissed. Bulma wanted nothing more than to kiss him every second of every day. She had many love bites from him but they were always in places that were easy to hide or cover with makeup. Like her hip for example, which she was _definitely_ going to get him back for. She enjoyed the wild look in her eyes and the dark blush on her cheeks after one of their extremely heated make out sessions.

Bulma just wished that they could go further but neither of them felt particularly comfortable with being closed in on a ship with three other Saiyan males who would easily pick up on their scents or moans. She wanted to be able to be aroused without having to worry about others feeling uncomfortable or equally aroused by it. She wanted to be able to _scream_ Vegeta's name as he pleased her.

It just wasn't fair.

She wanted him to take her and she wanted him to take her _now_. Bulma felt as though she needed him and where that may have once scared her, she now only felt excitement. He was making her feel things she had never felt before and she enjoyed those feelings. They were foreign yet they felt good. No, they felt _amazing_.

The blue haired woman sighed with pleasure as Vegeta squeezed her breast.

That was another thing she enjoyed. He touched her hard enough to please her, but never hard enough to harm her. Just the thought of how hot their sex would be turned Bulma on. Especially when Vegeta had his arms wrapped around her and was kissing her as though his life depended on it.

They would be back at headquarters in less than two weeks and neither of them could wait. The sexual tension between them was almost painful. They wanted to be together; they wanted to be closer and to do more than simply feel each other up. Bulma wanted Vegeta inside of her and he wanted nothing more than to give her what she wanted.

"We should stop…" Bulma breathed. Her words and her actions were complete opposites as she continued to run her fingers up and down Vegeta's spine, causing him to shiver with pleasure.

"Hn," Was all that she heard before his lips were against hers once more.

Bulma didn't want to stop. As much as they should, she couldn't bring herself to push him away. She wanted nothing more than to have him stay by her side and continue touching her, but in less than an hour, the others would all be awake and if they didn't stop now, then the smell of their arousal would still be lingering in the air when they all came to train.

It had been hard convincing them that the arousal they could smell when they returned had just been hers. Hell, even she could smell the arousal! The air had also been filled with a ridiculous amount sexual tension which was also hard to explain. In the end, Bulma simply pushed aside her pride and told them that she was sexually frustrated. It stopped their questions, but their suspicions were still there, especially Nappa's.

So how would she explain the arousal they would smell in the training room of all places?

Bulma sighed once more before reluctantly pushing Vegeta off of her. Neither of them said a word as Bulma fixed her clothes before leaning down to kiss him one last time and leaving the training room.

Her mind was racing as she thought back to how quickly she seemed to go from feeling annoyed, scared and uncomfortable in Vegeta's presence to comfortable, safe and aroused. The change was enough to make her head spin, that was, if it wasn't already spinning.

As she led down in bed, Bulma couldn't help but think about how much she wished that Vegeta could be next to her. Even if they weren't doing anything, his presence made her feel at ease and protected. She didn't need to keep her guard up when he was around. Just the way he held himself told you that he was more than capable of protecting himself and those he cared about.

Bulma closed her eyes and sighed once more before sleep overcame her.

For the first time in what seemed and felt like forever, she was sleeping alone and didn't have any problems with trying to get to sleep.

* * *

**A/N - I know it's a lot shorter than the previous chapters, but I promise I'll make up for it! **

**You know what I really hate? When people write half a story and then just give up with it! It's like, you read it and get halfway through and it just ends right at a good part. So you follow it, but you never get an email saying it has been updated. It's so annoying! I promise I will never do something like that, but I think that's because I hate not finishing things... unless it's school work. God I hated school haha!**

**Anyways, nobody really said anything about my idea for having a BulmaxVegeta fanfiction that started without romance. There will be romance in it, just not in the first part because I'll be building up to it slowly. I think I've been putting the pair together too quickly in some of my fanfictions so yeah. **

**Also, I think only two or three people said something about the prequel to this fanfiction to see how Bulma and Goku/Kakarot grew up. I get it, nobody particularly likes the pairing, but I think they're so adorable! Even if no one reads it, I'll probably still post it for the few who are curious. And emikot316, don't worry I won't be mad if you don't read it! It's completely up to you and your opinion, don't worry about what other people think. I think you're one of my most loyal readers/reviewers, so I can never be mad at you! :-)**

* * *

**Preview to the next chapter:**

_Bulma felt a strange feeling in her chest as she gave Kakarot one last glance before turning away. It felt like she had ended everything there and then. It felt as though everything had changed._

_And everything had changed._

_It hurt to say goodbye to the ones you love, but Bulma knew that she was doing the right thing. _

_Her friends and family watched silently as Bulma walked out. Mrs Briefs and her husband had never felt more proud of their daughter than what they were now and Bardock and even Turles felt the same way. They were all proud at how much Bulma had matured. _

_Just as she was about to walk out the door, Bulma looked back to Vegeta and saw him nod once at her. She couldn't help the smile that graced her lips._

_He didn't care that she was bipolar and he didn't pity her or look at her in disgust. Vegeta made her feel like she was a Goddess and someone who should be worshipped._

_Bulma let another smile show as she continued to walk away from them._

* * *

**The song that I recommend is probably We Can't Stop by Miley Cyrus. The song has been stuck in my head for ages now and it's driving me crazy. The only part that I keep singing is 'la di da da di' or however it goes. I know not a lot of people like Miley and to be honest, I don't really like We Can't Stop, it's just stuck in my head, but I think she's amazing and she's good in concert too.**

**ANYWAYS. Quick question... **

**Are there any other anime/mangas that you guys like? I used to hate Naruto, but now I'm obsessed with it! Oh and does Pokemon count as anime? I think it does, but my brother keeps saying it's a cartoon. Stupid brother, he knows nothing!**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	19. Letting You Go

**Chapter 19 – Letting You Go**

Lately, for Bulma, everything had been pretty good. Kakarot was being somewhat tolerable, Raditz was helping her out some nights with her training. Nappa was, well, he was just being his usual bastard self and Vegeta… where to start?

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Bulma pulled on her usual training playsuit, brushed her hair and left the room. Last night, she had managed to get two hours sleep, which wasn't very good considering what was happening today. As Bulma came into the control room, she could see the apprehensive look on Kakarot's face and she couldn't really blame him for it. Bulma gave him a small smile.

They were just about to pull into headquarters and Kakarot was about to meet his family for, in his mind, the first time ever. Bulma felt a little bad since she was the one who caused his memory loss, but she still thought of herself as a saint for not giving in to Kakarot's temptations and they were _very_ tempting. Bulma rolled her eyes. '_Chi-Chi had better be grateful,_' she thought to herself for what felt like the millionth time since that day.

After Bulma turned the ship off, she stood in front of the doors, grabbed Kakarot's ear and as soon as they opened, she dragged him over to Chi-Chi. She ignored the surprised and amused looks that everyone was giving her, Bulma wanted nothing more than for the looks from Kakarot to stop. She wanted him to stop looking at her like she was perfect, because she wasn't. Every time he looked at her that way, it felt like a stab to the heart.

She was left completely stunned and a little uncomfortable when she reached Chi-Chi. There were tears in her eyes as the girl threw her arms around Bulma and repeated the word thank you about a hundred times. Bulma's eyes were wide as she looked to her parents for help, but they simply stared back with shock as well. Bulma's eyes darted to Bardock and Turles but they had their usual empty masks on. It raised only one terrifying question in her mind. How much had they seen through the bond? Had they seen her breakdown after Kakarot had touched her? Had they seen how she locked herself away in her room just to avoid him? Bulma looked down at the shaking girl hugging her tightly as she cried. She still wasn't hugging the girl back. She wanted her to let go and tell her how much she had seen.

When Chi-Chi pulled away, she wiped a tear away and looked into Bulma's eyes. "Thank you for not taking advantage of Kakarot. I know it must have been hard-"

Bulma raised her hand to silence her. "Whatever," She said emptily. "Just remember that you owe me for this, it wasn't easy you know."

"Then why did you say no?" Chi-Chi asked with a hint of worry in her eyes.

The blue haired girl looked out of the corner of her eyes to see that everyone was watching the two girls actually have a civil conversation. They were surprised that they could talk without Bulma raising her fists to hit Chi-Chi and without Chi-Chi screaming at her.

"Just be grateful that I did." Bulma looked up to see Kakarot staring at Chi-Chi in the way that she had been dreading. It was like a blind man seeing a sunset for the very first time and the looks he gave Bulma paled in comparison to this look. She then lowered her voice so only Chi-Chi and Kakarot would hear as she kept her eyes locked onto Kakarot's, despite him staring at Chi-Chi. "Also know that you're extremely lucky to have someone as kind and considerate as Kakarot," Her eyes snapped to Chi-Chi's as she gave her a deadly glare, "And I won't hesitate in hurting or killing you if you take him for granted and hurt him."

Chi-Chi nodded quickly as she said another thank you to Bulma.

Whilst Bulma felt saddened by the fact that Kakarot was no longer trying to be with her, she also felt like a humungous weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Her breathing felt lighter, her body felt lighter… hell, even her mind felt lighter.

Bulma felt a strange feeling in her chest as she gave Kakarot one last glance before turning away. It felt like she had ended everything there and then. It felt as though everything had changed.

And everything _had_ changed.

She was no longer the annoying ex that he could never get away from. She wasn't the girl who did whatever she could to get his attention. Bulma had grown up and finally accepted the fact that she would never be with him. Her heart gave an uncomfortable squeeze at the thought and her eyes started to sting, but she pushed the feelings away. Just as her lip started to tremble, Bulma turned away with her head held high and walked proudly from the room.

Her friends and family watched silently as Bulma walked out of the docking station. Mrs Briefs and her husband had never felt more proud of their daughter than what they were now and Bardock and even Turles felt the same way. They were all proud at how much Bulma had matured.

It hurt to say goodbye to the one you love. After being in love with Kakarot for years, Bulma was finally letting go and as she did, it felt like a great weight had been taken from her shoulders and her heart.

Just as she was about to walk out the door, Bulma looked back to Vegeta and saw him nod once at her. She couldn't help the smile that graced her lips.

She may have said goodbye to the one she loved, but now Vegeta was there. He wasn't some rebound or a replacement for Kakarot, Vegeta made her feel things that she hadn't even felt when she was with Kakarot. Even when they argued, Bulma never felt sad when she was in his presence. Lately to Bulma, everything had been dark but now that Vegeta was there, it was like there was finally a light to guide her through the darkness.

He didn't care that she was bipolar and he didn't pity her or look at her in disgust. Vegeta made her feel like she was a Goddess and someone who should be worshipped.

Bulma let another smile show as she continued to walk.

Perhaps she had finally found someone to love, cherish and protect her, someone who would look at her like she's beautiful and tell her that no one will ever harm her. Bulma knew that Vegeta would never speak the words, but that didn't mean that she couldn't see the look in his eyes when he looked at her.

Was this what it felt like to truly be in love, or to find your other half? Was this how Kakarot felt when he saw Chi-Chi? Bulma hoped so. She didn't want the feeling to ever go away.

She didn't want Vegeta to ever go away.

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**A/N - I know, I know! It's another really short chapter, but it's a sort of important chapter, isn't it? Finally, Bulma has really let Kakarot go! It's about time too. I can't remember when I wrote this chapter, but I think I might have been in a dramatic mood when I did. If you haven't noticed already, I am a pretty dramatic person, haha. **

**Anyways, after the next chapter, there will be less short chapters, I promise! Actually, in the next couple of chapters, I think it's safe to say... no, you'll have to wait. **

**Somebody suggested that I should get a beta, but I honestly don't want one. I prefer writing it myself and editing it myself. Sure, I'll admit that there are quite a lot of mistakes when I read back, but that's what I enjoy. That way, you'll know where you've gone wrong and what you need to work on! In other words, I don't like it when people pick out what I've done wrong, I'd rather do it myself haha.**

**Um, if you read 'Battle of the Empires' don't forget, there's a surprise at the end of the latest chapter for you all ;-)**

* * *

**Preview to the next chapter:**

_Her father and Bardock's lab had never felt so intimidating before._

_Bulma was sat on one of the tables as her father and Bardock spoke. Beside her, her mother stood with her ever present smile. Each word spoken and each smile all felt like judgement. Did they know? Did they find out that she wasn't taking her medication?_

_She tugged on the end of her shorts as her eyes darted from her mother, to her father and finally to Bardock._

_Were they going to punish her for hurting Kakarot and causing his memory loss? Bulma's eyebrows furrowed. At the time she had wanted to be punished for what she had done, but now that she was sat here in the labs with her parents and Bardock, Bulma wanted nothing more than to run from the room and lock herself in her own. Besides, Bulma was more than sure that she had already received a severe punishment._

_A hand touched her shoulder and Bulma's eyes widened in response as they darted to the face of her father. For the first time in her entire life, she couldn't see what he was feeling or thinking. His emotions were being fiercely guarded and it made Bulma heartbeat increase._

_They _were_ going to punish her._

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**More drama in the next chapter! **

**Recommended song... Savin' Me by Nickelback. **

**I don't get why so many people dislike Nickelback, I like some of their songs, but I wouldn't say I'm their number one fan. Oh God, saying number one fan reminds me of when I used to _obsess_ over Justin Bieber. I know, I know, I'm a terrible person in some eyes. But again, I don't understand why so many people dislike him. He does a lot for his fans and I respect him for that. His music however... it's gone a little... ugh. I preferred his old songs before he went all 'hipster'.**

**Anyways, enough about him. **

**I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE CHAPTER AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	20. Desperate

**Chapter 20 – Desperate**

Her father and Bardock's shared lab had never felt so intimidating to her before.

Bulma was sat on one of the cold, metal tables as her father and Bardock spoke. Beside her, her mother stood with her ever present smile. Each word spoken and each smile all felt like judgement. Did they know? Did they find out that she wasn't taking her medication? She tugged on the end of her shorts as her eyes darted from her mother, to her father and finally to Bardock.

Were they going to punish her for hurting Kakarot and causing his memory loss? Bulma's eyebrows furrowed. At the time she had _wanted _to be punished for what she had done, but now that she was sat here in the labs with her parents and Bardock, Bulma wanted nothing more than to run from the room and lock herself in her own. Besides, Bulma was more than sure that she had already received a severe punishment.

Vegeta had been busy for the past two days with training and strategies, so she barely even saw him. Also, hardly any members of the Rebellion Army left their rooms now since he arrived and even though Bulma couldn't exactly blame them for their actions, at the same time, she wanted them to see the man that she had gotten to know. Vegeta wasn't the crazy, unhinged psychopath she had once thought he was and Bulma wanted them to see that too. However, that was easier said than done, especially when he walked around scowling all the time. Seriously, would it kill the guy to smile? Bulma rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief.

As a hand touched her shoulder and Bulma's eyes widened in response as they darted to the face of her father. For the first time in her entire life, she couldn't see what he was feeling or thinking. His emotions were being fiercely guarded and it made Bulma heartbeat increase.

They _were _going to punish her.

Bulma leaned back and out of her father's hold but she never broke eye contact once. She plastered a smile on her face as she spoke, "So why am I here?" Bulma inwardly grimaced at how fake she sounded and immediately toned down her voice. "You said over the scouter that it was important and couldn't wait?"

Her eyes darted to her mother as the blonde woman stepped from beside her so that she was in front of her. The look on her face almost made Bulma's heart stop. She had never seen her mother so serious before and it honestly scared Bulma.

"How are you feeling, Bulma?" Her mother asked.

"I'm fine." Bulma spoke quietly before hopping off of the table. "Is that all you wanted to ask me? Am I okay to leave?"

Bardock shook his head. "No, Bulma. We need to talk about what happened with Dodoria."

Her blood ran cold as her eyes widened. She had completely forgotten about Dodoria and what he tried to do to her but now that they reminded her of what happened, Bulma felt dirty and felt a shiver run up her spine. "What about him?"

"Did he say anything of importance to you?" Bardock asked as he looked her in the eyes as though he was searching for any hidden emotions.

Bulma quickly shook her head.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Mrs Briefs asked quietly. "I can make your father and Bardock leave the room if you wish. We can have a girl talk, just like when you were younger!"

She shook her head again.

Dr Briefs sighed. "Bulma you need to talk about what happened. I thought we talked about how it wasn't healthy to bottle everything up inside of you?"

His voice was serious, as were his eyes. Bulma lowered her head, knowing that they would force her to talk either way. "I didn't bottle it up," She whispered so quietly that her parents had to lean in to hear. "Kakarot stayed with me until I was feeling better."

"That's not the same thing Bulma," Bardock sighed as he rubbed his eyes. "We were told that you attacked Nappa. Bulma, of all people to attack, why did you have to attack _Nappa_?" His eyes showed his desperation for an answer.

Bulma's eyes hardened as her head snapped up to glare at Bardock. "I attacked Nappa because he wouldn't let me go. He almost broke both of my arms. What did you expect me to do, let him?"

"Honey, if it wasn't for Mr Vegeta, Nappa could have seriously hurt you!" Mrs Briefs cried.

"That leads us to another thing," Dr Briefs said as he looked to Bardock and then back to Bulma. "How did Kakarot receive the blow that caused his memory loss?"

Her world started spinning fast once again. So it _was_ about what she had done to Kakarot. Her breathing quickened, as did her heartbeat. "I didn't mean to!" Bulma blurted out. "I can barely even remember what happened. One minute we were sparring and the next I just felt so angry with him. It was like I blacked out until I realised what I had done." Tears started to fall from Bulma's eyes as she continued to speak. "I have never been so scared before." She whimpered. "I thought that I had killed him!"

Bardock smirked. "It would take a lot more than a head injury to kill Kakarot, Bulma."

She shook her head fiercely once again. "You didn't see him, Bardock. He was barely even breathing. I had to drag him to the medical room and if it hadn't of been for Raditz, I would probably be dead."

Mrs Briefs gasped as she took her daughter's face in her hands. "What makes you say that?" She spoke quietly but her words were rushed and desperate.

"I was dragging _Kakarot_ to the medical room, mom. Haven't you ever noticed how heavy these damn Saiyans are?" She heard Bardock chuckle and allowed a smirk to grace her lips before her face turned empty once again. "We were halfway there when my legs just gave out and I fell to the ground with Kakarot on top of me. He was just so heavy that I almost gave up… but then I heard someone coming, so I screamed as loudly as I could." Her eyes started to water again. "If Raditz had not have arrived at that moment, I would be dead. Just Kakarot's weight slamming me down to the ground broke my ribs."

Her mother let go of her face but kissed her forehead, "Thank you for telling us the truth, sweetie. I know how hard it is since you're such a private girl."

Bulma felt guilt tear at her mind and heart. She tore her eyes away from her mother and looked at the ground. "It's fine," She whispered as her brows furrowed.

"Now," Dr Briefs spoke again. "We need to see how you're doing on your medication."

She looked back up at her father. "It's _fine_." She spoke through clenched teeth.

"A few tests aren't going to hurt you Bulma." Mrs Briefs said, "They need to see if you need a smaller or larger dose or a change of tablets."

Bulma took a deep breath. "Well can it wait? I need to meet Vegeta."

"V-Vegeta?" Mrs Briefs's eyes widened with shock. "You mean Mr- _Prince_ Vegeta?!"

Had she said something wrong? Bulma looked up at her mother's scared face to her father's shocked one and then over to Bardock's equally shocked one. Each of them had a terrified look in their eye that made Bulma shift uncomfortably. She nodded slowly whilst scrutinizing their expressions.

"What are you doing with Prince Vegeta?" Bardock demanded.

Her eyes widened as she flinched from his harsh voice. Never – and she meant _never_ – had Bardock ever sounded so angry at her before. Hell, he had never even raised his voice to her! No matter how far she pushed him and no matter how much her words angered him, he always spoke in a calm voice. Again, Bulma asked herself if she had done something wrong.

"N-nothing," Bulma stuttered as she backed away from the angry Bardock.

If she had once said that Kakarot was someone you didn't want to get on the wrong side of, then she was wrong. Bardock was much more terrifying and his glare seemed much more effective since he had not been 'softened' by a blow to the head and lost some of his Saiyan instincts. Bulma's eyes darted to her parents' for help, but they seemed frozen in place, equally shocked by Bardock's anger towards Bulma.

"Bulma," Bardock spoke through clenched teeth, seeming as though he was trying to calm himself. "This is serious, _what _are you doing with Prince Vegeta?"

"I'm not doing anything!" Bulma screamed in his face as she refused to give him any more ground. She looked him in the eye as she held her defiant stance. On the outside, she looked intimidating and maybe even strong, but that wasn't exactly the case. On the inside, her mind was spinning and screaming at her to run. For the first time ever, Bardock looked as though he was going to hurt her and it was scaring the crap out of her.

_Was_ he going to hurt her? Bulma searched his eyes desperately. She couldn't _see_ any signs that he was going to hurt her, but he could have easily hid them so that she would lower her guard.

"Then why are you going to see him?" Bardock's teeth were still clenched.

His feral eyes and bared teeth terrified Bulma and she had to force her knees not to start shaking.

She searched her mind for something to get her out of the hole she had just dug herself in. "I-I'm building him something to help with his training!" She blurted out.

The angry look left Bardock's face as it turned blank. "What?"

Seeing that she had obviously said the right thing, Bulma inwardly smirked and continued. "I was having trouble sleeping after what happened with Dodoria so I started planning and designing and I thought of something that could possibly help him." Was it strange that it scared Bulma at how easily she was able to lie to those she cares about?

"What is it?" Dr Briefs asked as his science geek mode kicked in.

"Uh… it's…" Bulma sneakily looked around the room but found nothing. Damn it! Why couldn't she think of anything? Then, as though the Gods were finally deciding to be nice to her, a thought snapped into her mind. "It's a gravity simulator!"

Bardock looked unsure. "How does it work?"

"Well it doesn't… yet." Bulma furrowed her brows as she tried to find the right words. "I need the correct calculations and I need to run tests on Vegeta to make sure he doesn't get crushed by the gravity enhancer."

"I don't think Prince Vegeta would let us run tests on him." Bardock frowned.

Bulma smiled, "Exactly."

"Bulma what are you talking about?" Mrs Briefs asked. Her face was confused and the look made Bulma smile again, only this time it was much softer and more genuine. Her mother never understood science, even when it was as simple as mixing two chemicals together.

"Well he knows that I would never hurt him or be able to hurt him." Bulma shrugged. "If I ask him nicely enough and allow the bald oaf to stay in the room, I'm sure he'd at least let me run basic tests."

Bardock raised an eyebrow as he looked at Bulma with amusement, "The bald oaf?"

Bulma groaned with annoyance and rolled her eyes, "Nappa. I don't know what I did, but he hates my guts."

The Saiyan chuckled. "He has always been that way. Even back on Vegeta-sei, he was known as the moodiest bastard on the planet."

Bulma giggled. At least she now knew that it wasn't just because of her. Also, she ruled out the question on Nappa's sexuality. Being completely honest, she thought that perhaps Nappa had secret feelings for Vegeta and that was why he never liked her being alone with the Prince. Thankfully, however, that doesn't seem the case, so Vegeta was all hers!

"He's just doing what he was told to do." Bardock said with a serious look on his face.

"Told?" Bulma repeated the word with uncertainty.

Bardock nodded seriously. "The last order he ever received from the King was to protect Prince Vegeta no matter what it took. If it meant he had to die to save him, then so be it. Raditz had also sworn to protect Prince Vegeta, but Nappa takes it a lot more serious. He does whatever he can to make sure the Prince doesn't forget his Saiyan ways or stray from the Saiyan laws."

Bulma looked down at the ground as Bardock spoke. Did that mean that by Saiyan laws, Vegeta wasn't allowed to be with anyone outside of his race? Her heart clenched at the thought. She didn't want to be alone again. She didn't want to lose Vegeta. How could she show Nappa that she was worthy of being Vegeta's mate?

Her eyes locked with Bardock's as she lifted her head. In the background, she heard her mother talking to her father about what to cook for dinner tonight whilst he was busy looking through files.

The Saiyan could see the desperation in Bulma's eyes and it worried him.

What was she planning?

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**A/N - To say that this is still a short chapter, it's a lot longer than I planned it to be!** **I mentioned this in my other fanfic 'Battle of the Empires' but if this has a lot of mistakes or seems like crap, it's because I haven't been able to sleep properly.**

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**IMPORTANT:**

**I won't be updating for a month, maybe two. I mentioned this in an earlier chapter, but I'm moving either next week or the week after, so because of that, we're having the internet cut off. Anways, I'm not entirely sure how long it'll take to get the services back on, but the good news is that it'll give me more time to write you more chapters since I won't be getting distracted quite so easily! **

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**Preview to next chapter:**

_"You mentioned something about an oath earlier…" Bulma spoke to Bardock as they walked through the hallways of headquarters._

_It was their turn for night duty and whilst they usually did it on their own, this time, Bulma wanted to find out more about Saiyans and their laws. After finding out that Nappa was unbelievably strict when it came to the Saiyan Laws, Bulma wanted to know exactly what they were and whether or not Vegeta had accidentally broken any. The last thing she wanted to do was cause any trouble for him._

_"What about it?" Bardock asked as they turned another corner._

_She shrugged, "I was just wondering what they were, you know? I get the basics of it, but I'm not too familiar with Saiyan oaths."_

_"At one point in their life, every Saiyan would have made at least one oath." Bardock said. "King Vegeta, along with the Queen and their sons, all made an oath to protect their race and die for it if need be." _

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**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	21. Promises, Bonds and Oaths

**Chapter 21 – Promises, Bonds and Oaths**

"You mentioned something about an oath earlier…" Bulma spoke to Bardock as they walked through the hallways of headquarters.

It was their turn for night duty and whilst they usually did it on their own and on different parts of headquarters, this time, Bulma wanted to find out more about Saiyans and their laws. After finding out that Nappa was unbelievably strict when it came to the Saiyan Laws, Bulma wanted to know exactly what they were and whether or not Vegeta had accidentally broken any. The last thing she wanted to do was cause any trouble for him.

"What about them?" Bardock asked as they turned another corner.

She shrugged, "I was just wondering what they were, you know? I get the basics of it, but I'm not too familiar with _Saiyan_ oaths."

"At one point in their life, every Saiyan would have made at least one oath." Bardock told her, keeping his eyes forward. "King Vegeta, along with the Queen and their sons, all made an oath to protect their race and die for it if need be."

Bulma's eyes widened, "Son_s_… as in, more than one?"

Bardock nodded. "Prince Vegeta is the older of the two. His younger brother, Prince Tarble, was sent off planet because of his inability to fight."

"A Saiyan who can't fight," Bulma looked thoughtful, but she was just genuinely shocked.

"It wasn't that Prince Tarble _couldn't_ fight, it was that he _wouldn't_. He didn't like causing harm to others therefore King Vegeta thought it would be a risk to keep him on Vegeta-sei. Nobody but the King and Queen knew what planet Prince Tarble was sent to and nobody has heard from the young Prince ever since."

Bulma looked to the ground. So there was another Saiyan still alive? She shook the thoughts from her head as she turned back to Bardock. "You said that every Saiyan makes at least one oath in their life… Does that mean Kakarot, Turles and you have also made one?"

He nodded again. Something flashed in his eyes as he spoke, but it was gone too quickly for Bulma to be able to tell what it was. "I made an oath to protect my pack. Turles made an oath to do whatever he can to help bring down the Cold Empire and avenge our race…"

"And Kakarot's oath?" Bulma pushed, seeing that Bardock seemed a little uncomfortable speaking of his son's oath.

Bardock sighed and turned his head to look at her. "Kakarot made an oath to protect _you_."

"M-me?" Bulma stuttered as her eyes widened.

"Yes," Bardock frowned, turning away again. "Whilst our oaths were simply vows, Kakarot made an oath that is similar to Nappa's. No matter what the cost or how it is done, Nappa will protect Prince Vegeta like Kakarot protects you. At first, Turles and I thought that perhaps he would make vows like we did but it turned out that Kakarot swore to protect you with a blood ritual."

She couldn't speak or think. Hell, Bulma was surprised that she could even walk. Her legs felt like they were going to give out at any second. "What's a blood ritual?" She managed to choke out after a moment of silence.

"A blood ritual is ancient." Bardock rubbed his eyes. "How Kakarot found out about it when he lost his memory about his Saiyan heritage, we never figured that out. Even Turles and I don't know a lot about it. All we do know is that it is serious and not something to be taken lightly. The ritual somehow connects you both and Kakarot can feel your pain as though it is his own. When you're in trouble, his body will act before he even realises what is happening. If he has to die to save you, then he would do it without even thinking about it or the consequences of his actions."

"Why?" Bulma whispered as tears started to form in her eyes.

By now, they were in the docking station where they would stay for the next hour or so until it was time to check the hallways again. Bulma sat down on one of the chairs feeling as though she was completely numb.

Bardock sighed again. "I don't know." He answered honestly. "That is something you would have to ask him about yourself. All I know is that you both have a powerful bond that – as far as I can tell – can't be broken. The ritual leaves a small, yet easily seen if you know where to look, symbol on the wrist of the person who completed it.

"When I first saw the mark, I didn't know how to act or what to say. I was simply in shock." Bardock shook his head. "Turles lost it and called Kakarot every name under the sun and he took it all without complaint, however as soon as Turles mentioned something about you, Kakarot immediately defended you. From what little we know of, you can only do the blood ritual once in your lifetime due to the risks."

Her head was spinning. "Risks?" Her voice sounded hoarse. "What are the risks?"

"Like I said earlier, you are both somehow connected and your pain will automatically become his pain." Bardock sighed again as he turned to face Bulma with a careful expression. As he continued his explanation of the blood ritual, Bulma started to feel even worse.

A sob tore from her throat as Bulma dropped her head into her hands. Her entire body shook as Bardock's words sank in. How could he do this to her? How could he put her in this position? What about his family? They would hate her even more than what they already do for doing this!

"Is there any way that the ritual can be broken?" Bulma lifted her head and looked into Bardock's eyes desperately but her hope died when she saw him slowly shake his head. She closed her eyes. "How old was he when he did it?"

Bardock once again sighed as he sat leaned against the table. "Kakarot was ten years old."

More tears fell from Bulma's eyes as her blood ran cold. Why would a ten year old boy make such a powerful oath? She looked up at the ceiling and mentally screamed at whoever was listening. Was there really a God? If there was, why would He allow a ten year old boy to do such things?

"Why would he do that for me?" Bulma whispered. "Why would a ten year old boy do that for anyone?"

The Saiyan shrugged. "I don't know how Kakarot's mind works or how your bond works. You would have to ask him why he did such a thing but Bulma, do not be angry with him. I'm sure he has a perfectly good explanation as to why he did it."

Bulma clenched both her teeth and fists. Don't be angry with him? How could she not be? Kakarot had more or less put his life into her hands and didn't even tell her about it! But now that she knew about his ritual, a lot of things seemed so much clearer to her now. Why he was able to pick up on her moods so easily, why he seemed to be able to hear or smell her from so far away, why he was overly possessive and protective of her… it all made Bulma's head hurt. Did he even know of the risks when he did the ritual?

Her shoulders started to shake as more tears came and Bardock placed a hand on her shoulder in an act of comfort.

Would he regret doing the ritual now that he had a family? Bulma bit her lip to try and fight back her sobs. Had he even told his family about his oath to protect her? Was Chi-Chi aware of the ritual? Did Kakarot regret completing the ritual now because of her illness? It certainly made things a lot more dangerous. Her heart squeezed against her chest as it became difficult to breathe.

She clutched her chest as her eyes widened and her breathing came in short, painful pants. It felt like the room was spinning and she could faintly hear Bardock yelling at her but she couldn't make out what he was saying. Bulma raised her trembling free hand to stop her fall as she collapsed against the floor but it wasn't needed.

Bulma looked up at Bardock as he led her down on the ground. His eyes were as wide as hers as he spoke quickly to her. What he was saying, Bulma still couldn't make out because of a strange ringing in her ears.

After a couple of minutes, the sight of Bardock breathing calmly was enough to calm her slightly as her breathing became more controlled and the ringing started to dull. The room still appeared to be spinning and there was still a painful feeling in her chest but it all seemed to disappear as she closed her eyes and blacked out.

Bardock watched as she closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief that it was only a panic attack. For a moment, he thought she may have been having a heart attack but thankfully, that wasn't the case.

Only a couple of seconds passed before Kakarot burst into the room looking wide eyed and frightened. His eyes widened even more at the sight of Bulma lying on the floor and he was quick to appear by her side and move the hair away from her face. Kakarot looked up to his father with questioning eyes.

The older Saiyan sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day. "It was only a panic attack."

"What caused it?" Kakarot demanded looking back down at Bulma.

Bardock shrugged, "I'm not sure. I think it may be something to do with her bipolar." He lied. "I'll look into it when she wakes up."

He didn't want to worry Kakarot about what he had told Bulma. It was something that they had to talk about together and in private. Bardock sighed once again as he watched Kakarot walk over to one of the many supply closets and grab a couple of blankets. It worried Bardock to no end at how protective and possessive his son was of Bulma. He continued to silently watch as Kakarot rolled up one of the blankets and placed it under her head whilst covering her with another.

"Will she be okay?" Kakarot asked quietly.

"Yes," Bardock nodded. "You should go back to Chi-Chi, Kakarot. I'm sure she's wondering where her mate disappeared to at half two in the morning."

Kakarot looked torn as he looked from the door then back to Bulma.

Once again, Bardock sighed. "You know that I will protect Bulma, Kakarot. Now go. That's an order."

"Yes sir." Kakarot nodded once before giving Bulma one last glance and leaving the room.

O.o.O

She was angry. No, no she was more than angry, she was livid.

Bulma stormed down the hallways and towards the training rooms. She had just spent the better half of the morning being questioned about what happened and then wasted a good half an hour trying to find Kakarot. It showed how blinded by her angry she was because the training rooms should have been the first place that she checked for him but she instead went to the cafeteria.

The doors slammed against the walls as Bulma stormed into the Saiyans training room with fire in her eyes and her clenched fists trembling. Even she had to admit that she looked pretty scary. The entire walk down to the training rooms, everyone stayed out of her way and close to the walls whilst she stormed down the hallways.

"Kakarot!" She growled loudly. Her clenched fists tightened at just the sound of his name. How she was going to react when she saw him, Bulma didn't even know.

She walked further into the large room and saw that all of the Saiyans were present. They eyed her somewhat warily as they sensed her anger and deadly aura and Vegeta found himself almost feeling sorry for Kakarot. Whatever he had done sure had pissed her off. The Saiyan Prince smirked as he folded his arms over his chest and decided to watch the show.

As soon as she saw Kakarot and stood with only a couple of inches between them, Bulma punched him in the face with as much strength as she could muster. Before he fell to the ground with shock, Bulma grabbed a hold of his shirt and lifted him so that they were eye to eye. Her eyes spat fire at him and her grip tightened as she searched his eyes.

"Do you have anything that you wish to tell me?" She spoke through clenched teeth.

Kakarot raised his hand and scratched the back of his head as he chuckled nervously. "What are you talking about, Bulma? You know I tell you everything!"

"Liar," Bulma yelled as she pushed him away and quickly grabbed his wrist.

Her eyes started to sting when she found the mark that Bardock had told her about. It was in the shape of the Vegeta-sei symbol that Bulma had seen quite a few times. She looked from the symbol and up to Kakarot's guilty yet somehow guarded eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw everyone tense and look shocked.

"Bulma-" Kakarot started to speak but was silenced when Bulma pushed his hand away from her like he had a disease.

She took a few steps back and shook her head. "Why?" She whispered and closed her eyes. "Why would you do something like that?"

"What's going on?" Raditz questioned as he looked between his brother and Bulma. What did his wrist have to do with it? What had he missed?

"He did a blood ritual!" Bulma screamed angrily, making all of them wince.

Raditz frowned. "What's a blood ritual?" Why did he feel like he was the only one who didn't know?

Nappa surprised them all as he stepped forward and looked at Kakarot's wrist. With a sound of disgust, he shoved the wrist away and then showed the rest of them his own. "Raditz, you know of the oath I made to protect Prince Vegeta?"

"Yes… but what does that have…" His sentence trailed off as realization dawned on him. Raditz looked from his father and Turles and then to Kakarot and Bulma. His eyes widened and locked onto his brother's wrist.

"The oath I made was ancient and is more of a blood ritual than an oath. The blood ritual connects the one who is making the ritual to the person who they wish to protect." Nappa then looked to Kakarot and Bulma and shook his head. "By the looks of that mark, you did the ritual almost a decade ago, around the same time that I did it."

Kakarot furrowed his brows and nodded, refusing to make eye contact with Bulma.

Nappa then sighed. "Do you have any idea what the risks are to the ritual?"

He nodded once again and chose to remain silent, which only added to Bulma's anger. But instead of lashing out and hitting him, tears started to sting her eyes before they fell down her cheeks. She lowered her head to the ground as her lip started to tremble and she had to bite it to try and keep it still. Her entire body shook as she tried her best to hold back her sobs.

"What are the risks?" Raditz asked although he wasn't even sure that he wanted to know.

This time, it was Vegeta who spoke up. He unfolded his arms from over his chest and even looked a little more open than usual. "His body will act of its own accord and will do whatever it has to do to protect her. If he has to give his life to protect the woman, then he will. Also, when she dies, Kakarot will die with her."

Bulma's eyes started to spit fire once again when she looked at Kakarot. "The least that you could do is _look_ at me!" She screamed at him so loudly that her voice cracked and wavered.

"What do you want me to say?" Kakarot yelled right back at her.

He surprised everyone with his tone of voice and Bulma shook her head sadly. She had so many questions that she wanted to ask him but it didn't seem like she would get the answers that she wanted.

"I thought we were a team." Bulma said softly as tears continued to silently slip down her cheeks. "We were always so honest with each other. Kakarot, if you kept this from me, what else have you been hiding? How do I know that any of the feelings you ever felt for me were true? Your father… Turles… my parents… they all said that we have a powerful bond and now I know why." She bit her lip so hard that it looked as though it was about to start bleeding.

Kakarot shook his head. "It isn't like that Bulma. I did it so that I can always protect you and make you happy."

Her eyes snapped to his face. "Make me _happy_? Do you have any idea what it feels like to know that when you die, your death will be the cause of someone else's, someone who you care about? I feel as though I can't even die without it being trouble. You have _no_ _idea_ how that feels!"

Vegeta's eyebrows twitched slightly but his face remained empty. He knew exactly what that felt like but kept silent as he watched the third class and Bulma.

Bulma searched Kakarot's eyes when she saw that he didn't know what to say. She ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head again. Bulma could feel a headache forming and she closed her eyes to try and calm herself. "Kakarot…" She whispered so softly that even the Saiyans strained to hear her. "Is there any way to reverse the ritual?"

Kakarot growled. "I don't _want_ to reverse it! Even if there was a way, I wouldn't do it! You're life means too much to me, Bulma and I'm not going to let you die when there's something I can do to prevent it. It's no secret that I'm not that smart but with this ritual, it helps me protect you when I can't think of any way to do so."

"You don't understand!" Bulma screeched in his face.

"What is there to not understand?" Kakarot yelled back.

Her eyes narrowed once again at his tone and she wasn't the only one to disapprove of his tone of voice. Bardock, Raditz and even Vegeta glared at Kakarot, a silent warning clear in their eyes.

Nappa rolled his eyes. "Even if Bulma dies of a natural death, you will also die."

"I know that." Kakarot said in a much calmer voice.

Bulma's eyes widened. "Then why?" She yelled at him. "Why would you still do the ritual when you know that? Humans don't live as long as Saiyans! We get old and sick and damn it Kakarot, why would you do something like this?"

If he even showed what he had been feeling, Vegeta's face would have completely emptied of all emotion at her statement. He was grateful that he had refolded his arms earlier as his fists clenched tightly. What was this strange feeling in his chest? Why didn't he like the sound of her life span being shorter than his own? Why didn't he like the idea of her getting old or ick?

Kakarot sighed. "Bulma, I don't care about the difference between human and Saiyan life spans."

She dropped to her knees and put her head into her hands. Why was he doing this to her? Why did he have to do that stupid, _stupid _ritual? Her heart clenched the same way it had the night before and her breath came in pants as a sob tore from her throat.

"Calm down, Bulma." Bardock said. "Getting worked up over something you can't change won't help."

Before anyone could even see it coming, Bulma shot forward and tackled Kakarot to the ground. Her beautiful features were twisted into an angry scowl as she pinned him to the floor and grabbed his face in her hand. "Tell me how to reverse the ritual." She said through clenched teeth.

"No," Kakarot growled, seeming unfazed with how her fingers and nails were digging into his face.

Her grip tightened as her glare intensified. "_Tell me_!" She screamed in his face.

Just as she was about to hit him, Bulma was dragged off of Kakarot. She looked up at Raditz with angry eyes as she tried to break the hold but it was no use.

"Bulma calm down." Raditz frowned. "You're not the only one who doesn't like this."

"You aren't the one who can't even die peacefully! Even on my deathbed, I'll be feeling guilty because I'll know that somebody will be losing a father and a husband." She relaxed in Raditz's arms as she allowed the guilt to consume her. "Does Chi-Chi even know?"

Kakarot shook his head as he climbed to his feet.

Bulma closed her eyes in defeat and shook her head with disappointment. "I will never forgive you for this." She spoke softly before elbowing Raditz in the stomach and leaving the room.

O.o.O

Her mother had always been such an open minded person and no matter what the situation, she always tried her best to remain positive. Bulma admired her mother's strength. Even though she was bipolar and may not be strong physically, Mrs Briefs was strong emotionally. She had always been there to pick up the pieces. Whenever Bulma needed a shoulder to cry on or some advice, she was always there.

At the moment, Bulma had her head rested on Mrs Briefs's shoulder and just cried. There was just so much guilt weighing on her heart and mind that it made her feel weak because there was nothing she could do about it. The way her mother was stroking Bulma's hair and saying things will be okay gave Bulma the sort of comfort that only a mother could give.

"I just… I don't know… why…" Bulma whispered between sobs.

Her sides, chest and throat were all hurting from her sobbing and her headache from earlier had only gotten worse.

"Kakarot cares about you, sweetie." Mrs Briefs said softly as she rubbed Bulma's back. "And he wants to do everything that is within his power to keep you safe, we all do."

That didn't stop her crying though; it only made her feel worse. "He has a family, mom. He shouldn't be going out of his way just for me."

Mrs Briefs gently pushed her daughter away before cupping her face and looking her in the eye. As she wiped away her tears with her thumbs, she spoke, "Bulma, no matter what, Kakarot will always care for you. He may have Chi-Chi now, but I can see in his eyes that he still loves you. Nothing will ever change that because you both have been through so much together."

Bulma shook her head despite the surprisingly strong hold her mother had. "No, it was the ritual that made him _think_ that he was in love with me, that's why he fell for Chi-Chi so easily when he apparently loved me." Bulma closed her eyes tightly. "His feelings for me in that way have never been true."

"You're wrong," Mrs Briefs whispered with a smile. "If Kakarot didn't love you, he wouldn't have done the ritual in the first place."

She was once again pulled into a tight hug and continued her crying.

O.o.O

Bulma had skipped dinner; she just wanted to be alone.

She just felt so confused about everything.

Today, she had learned about something that made her mind feel as though it was tearing into pieces as well as her heart and world. They all knew about the ritual, including her parents. They all knew, yet no one thought about telling her. What was she supposed to do with that?

Finding out that you had been lied to by the people who had sworn to protect and love you was painful. For ten years, they had all looked her in the eye and lied to her face.

After crying until there were no more tears, Bulma had found out from her mother that both she and her father knew about the ritual. It felt like someone had pulled the rug out from underneath her. Her parents… the people who had brought her into this world… they lied to her. They kept something as big as this to themselves. After she had been told, Bulma had to leave the room.

It angered her.

When all of her tears had been cried, anger took over sadness. How dare they lie to her? How dare they keep something like this to themselves? Did she honestly come across to them as pathetic and weak? Bulma gripped a tight hold of the table she was sat at.

How could they do this to her?

Bulma snarled as her eyes stayed fixed on her hands. Did they think she was some weakling? Did they really think that she needed protecting so much that they had to go as far as a ritual? Her grip on the table tightened even more before she stood up and threw it against the wall, causing it to break into two.

Did they really think she was that weak?

Her eyes scanned the room until they fell onto her dishes. One by one, Bulma threw each and every one of them at the door, wall and anywhere else that she deemed fit. She looked at her 'fancy' dishes that she had received as a gift before throwing those too. Bulma didn't care what she threw. She was in the mood for destruction.

All of them… every single one of them had lied to her face.

Bulma growled through her panting as she charged across the room and threw her television onto the floor. Next were her DVDs and video games. Like the dishes, they were all thrown one by one. She didn't care where they landed or what happened to them. When there were too many to throw, she dragged her arms across the many shelves and watched as they all fell to the ground.

His feelings weren't true.

As she picked up the photo frames around her living room, her hands trembled. Her mother had always taken pictures of each little moment in Bulma's life. The first was of her and Kakarot on the first day Bulma started training. The others were all sneakily taken photographs, some of the two playing videogames, some of Bulma with the Saiyans, some of her and her parents. They were all pictures of her growing up but now when she looked at them, all Bulma could see was a little girl growing up with strangers. When she had done smashing the frames, she tore the pictures in half.

They didn't truly love her… _Kakarot_ didn't truly love her.

She screamed as she picked up her sofa and threw it at her door with the coffee table following it. All of the memories of them together now seemed fake to Bulma. None of them mattered to her anymore. His touch, his kisses, the night they had made love… it was all a lie.

A knock on her door went unheard as she continued to trash her room and destroy her belongings. It wasn't until the knocking turned into banging that Bulma heard it. Growling with annoyance, Bulma shoved the sofa and broken coffee table out of the way and all but ripped open her door to glare at whoever dared to interrupt her.

"What?" Bulma snapped.

"Just listen to me," Kakarot begged as he tried to look into her room. "Can I come in?"

Bulma leaned against the door and motioned with her head for him to enter. Kakarot's eyes widened at the state of her room. Everything seemed to be broken… just like Bulma. He turned around to say something but at the same time, Bulma left the room and shut the door behind her before locking it so that he couldn't follow her. She ran as fast as she could through the hallways of headquarters. Bulma wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she knew that she _had _to destroy something. There was so much anger inside of her that Bulma thought she was going to explode.

She didn't even realise where she was headed until she saw it.

Her ship, her baby… but it wasn't her baby anymore.

It was just a ship that held memories that Bulma would rather forget. She had grown up on that ship; she had matured into who she was today. Did that mean that the person who she was is also a lie? Bulma narrowed her eyes at the ship. Memories of her time building it with Bardock and her father flashed before her eyes as well as the memories of her time with Kakarot.

Not even realising what she was doing, Bulma clenched her fist tightly and charged towards the ship. As her fist connected with the front and largest window, she let out a loud, broken yell. She didn't understand the relief she felt as she repeatedly punched her ship and tore it apart from the outside. All she did know was that it felt good. No, it felt amazing.

She didn't notice her small audience of innocent bystanders as they watched with frightened eyes and she also didn't notice when they called for her parents and Bardock to come to the docking station. She was too caught up in tearing her precious ship apart.

Her knuckles were split and bleeding and there were small lacerations on her arms and face from where the glass had smashed, but again, she didn't care. Bulma ripped the door to the ship off of its hinges, listening as it slammed against the ground and then entered the ship. Her pants for breath turned into growls as she blasted anything that held any memories into dust.

The first thing to go was Kakarot's bed.

It sounded distant, but Bulma was certain that she could hear her mother's screams for her to stop but she didn't listen as she tore frames from the walls and turned rooms upside down.

They lied to her. They _all _lied to her and made her out to be some kind of idiot. Now, she didn't even know who _she_ was. Was she just some sad, little messed up girl who was living the role they picked out for her? Bulma closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. No. She would not be controlled or tamed.

There was more shouting and screaming but again, Bulma ignored them all.

She stormed into the control panel room and raised her hand to blast the machine. A small smirk played along her lips as the major controls were all damaged and started to release thick, black smoke.

Another smirked came to her face as she thought of a way to show them that they couldn't control her. Bulma quickly left the ship to see that she had gained the attention of at least a quarter of the Rebellion Army. She could see her so called friends and family all standing with wide, pleading eyes but she merely looked at them with disgust.

Bulma spun around and raised her hand but just as she was about to blast the ship, a hand wrapped tightly around her wrist.

"Stop it," Vegeta demanded as his grip tightened.

It was enough to stop the ki from gathering and in response Bulma's eyes darted up to his as she growled. Was he on their side too? The only light in her dark… was he also trying to control her? Her brows furrowed but Bulma forced herself to stand her ground. She was not going to cry in front of any of these people ever again.

Trying to use her speed to her advantage, Bulma quickly lifted her free arm up but again, just as she was about to blast the ship, another hand caught her wrist. She looked up to see that Vegeta was now directly in front of her and blocking her view of the ship.

"Get out of my way," She warned through clenched teeth.

Vegeta growled at her tone of voice and in response, Bulma growled back at him. She refused to be intimidated or controlled. His grip on her wrists tightened as she straightened her back in an attempt to seem taller and moved her feet so that they were shoulder width apart. Her eyes rose to his as she glared at him defiantly.

"Get out of my way, Vegeta." Bulma repeated.

"Make me."

Bulma smirked at his challenge and raised her leg to kick him in the side. Just as he went to block her leg with his own, Bulma head butted him in the chest. As the air was knocked out of his lungs, she was disappointed to find that his grip had not loosened and his body barely even moved. Bulma's smirk disappeared as her eyes narrowed.

With all the strength she could muster, Bulma started to bend her arms and they shook from the strain. Just when Vegeta thought that she was about to attack, Bulma pushed her chest against his and whispered something in his ear that made him blush.

The smirk returned as the grip loosened and Bulma was quick to break out of the hold but as she went to move around Vegeta and towards the ship, he grabbed her waist and threw her backwards. Using her hand and heels, Bulma managed to slow herself down before she crashed into the wall.

Behind her, she could hear her mother's frantic screams for her to stop but she simply ignored them. She ignored everyone as she charged towards Vegeta with a smirk on her face.

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**A/N - I'M BACK!**

**Thank you to those who wished me luck with my move - it's been great and we all really like it here.**

**I was so excited about getting this chapter out. Also, you all now know why Kakarot seems so possessive of Bulma! I kind of feel sorry for her, I always seem to give her a hard time in my fics. **

**AH WELL.**

**Oh, I won't be able to update 'Battle of the Empires' today because it won't even open the document. FML. But, because of that, I might update this fic again later tonight when I come home. My mother seems to think I don't spend enough time in the outside world. Silly woman. So, if you want me to update again when I come home, you better review and tell me ;-) Na, just kidding. I'll probably update anyways but feel free to still leave a review.**

**So anyways, from this chapter on it, shit goes down.**

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**Preview for the next chapter**

_She hadn't even gotten her sight back when she felt two arms from behind lock under her armpits and restricted her movements. Bulma could tell by the scent that it was Vegeta and she could also tell that he wasn't happy with her. Bulma smirked. Perhaps she would be known as the human girl who actually managed to land a blow on_ the_ Saiyan Prince._

_However her victory was short lived as Vegeta lowered his lips to her ear. "I think we should stop before I end up taking you here in front of all these people."_

_Bulma's eyes widened as a blush crept to her cheeks. She had to force her body not to relax into his because she knew that she wouldn't be able to resist him. Bulma growled, earning a growl from Vegeta to which she turned her head to the side and smirked at him. _

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**OHOHOH I recommend you all go and listen to The Pretty Reckless! I heard one of their songs the other day and I have fallen in love with them. So far, my favourite it either 'You', 'Follow Me Down', or 'Just Tonight'.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	22. Found Out Part 1

**Chapter 22 – Found Out Part 1**

Behind her, she could hear her mother's frantic screams for her to stop but she simply ignored them. She ignored everyone as she charged towards Vegeta with a smirk on her face.

Vegeta's smirk matched her own as he flew forward to meet her halfway. As they reached their meeting point, they both raised their fists but at the last second, Bulma disappeared, only to reappear behind Vegeta and knee him in the back.

He growled with annoyance as he spun around and knocked Bulma to the ground with a single blow. Her body tumbled and rolled like a rag doll as she failed to stop her momentum and Bulma closed her eyes as she waited for the impact with the wall.

When she did slam against the wall, the air was knocked out of her as her eyes snapped open and widened. However the pain in her back was nothing compared to the pain that exploded in the side of her head when it connected with the wall. She could feel something hot and wet dripping down the side of her face but she ignored it. As Bulma slowly slid down the wall with a groan of pain, her vision started to blur but instead of giving up, Bulma closed her eyes and let her senses guide her as she forced herself back onto her feet.

She felt the air stir in front of her and was quick to duck to the ground as a fist flew for her head. By now, Bulma was breathing heavily and losing energy fast but she still refused to give up. She still had a point to make.

Bulma slammed her leg into something solid and heard a low grunt of pain. Continuing with her attack, she spun around in the air and slammed her leg once more into the solid figure stood before her. With her senses, Bulma could sense Vegeta skid across the ground and she used her time to try and work on her eyesight. It wasn't a problem fighting without her sight but she wanted to see everyone's faces when she proved to them that she wasn't someone you deceive or try to tame.

As she opened her eyes, Bulma clutched her head tightly and hissed with pain. The lights were way too bright and her head injury was making her feel unbelievably dizzy.

She hadn't even gotten her sight back when she felt two arms from behind lock underneath her armpits, restricting her movements. Bulma could tell by the scent that it was Vegeta and she could also tell that he wasn't happy with her. Bulma smirked. Perhaps she would be known as the human girl who actually managed to land a blow on _the _Saiyan Prince.

However her victory was short lived as Vegeta lowered his lips to her ear. "I think we should stop before I end up taking you here in front of all these people."

Bulma's eyes widened as a blush crept to her cheeks. She had to force her body not to relax into his because she knew that she wouldn't be able to resist him. Bulma growled, earning a growl from Vegeta to which she turned her head to the side and smirked at him.

"So are you done with your tantrum?" Vegeta smirked as he watched Bulma's smirk change into a fierce scowl.

He released her once he saw that she had calmed down enough not to attack him and watched as she stormed dizzily out of the docking station, followed by her family and Kakarot's. Vegeta's fists clenched at the sight of the third class that seemed to have the power to destroy the woman using only a couple of words. He didn't fully understand human emotions, but Vegeta knew what it felt like to find out that you had been living a lie.

Bulma panted as she leaned against the wall with her hand. Her head was throbbing and her back wasn't much better. She barely had any energy left as she continued stumbling down the hallways, holding onto the wall for support.

When she felt a hand on her shoulder, Bulma spun around quickly despite the pain it caused and growled in warning. She wasn't all too surprised to see that her family had followed her as well as Kakarot's. Bulma could see that she had worried them all, but she didn't care.

She pushed her mother away from her and continued limping down the hallway. She was aware of them all following her, only an idiot wouldn't know that. Her mother's sobs as well as their footsteps all seemed loud to her and echoed in her head.

Her footing faltered as the pain increased and Bulma's legs weakened. She was close to falling onto the ground, but by determination alone, she kept standing. Sure, her knees were bent and it looked as though she was about to fall at any second, but that wasn't the point. The point was that she _hadn't _fallen and wasn't going to.

Again, Bulma felt someone grab her arm to help her up but she growled at them. "Let me go," she spoke through clenched teeth. "I didn't ask for your help, Kakarot and I sure as hell don't need it."

"Too bad," Kakarot narrowed his eyes and put her arm over his shoulder whilst wrapping his own around her waist, "because you're going to get it whether you like it or not."

Bulma thrashed against his hold. "I don't want you to touch me!" She screamed as he started to walk down the hallway. "Let me go!"

"No." Kakarot said in a firm tone as he continued to walk.

Their families didn't know how to react to Bulma being dragged down the hallways by Kakarot whilst she yelled at him to let her go. If the situation wasn't so bad, it would have amused Turles, Raditz and Bardock. However the desperation in her tone was too strong and it made them all feel guilty.

"Fine," Bulma hissed before yelling at the top of her lungs and increasing her thrashing, "Vegeta!"

Everybody froze as the human girl called out for the Saiyan Prince of all people and not too long afterwards, Vegeta appeared in front of Kakarot, blocking the way. His glare was fierce and intimidating and at that moment, he appeared much, _much _taller than what he was. Everybody – including the Saiyans – shrank back at his glare.

Kakarot's grip tightened around Bulma's waist as he returned Vegeta's glare. "I'm not handing her over to _you_." He spoke through clenched teeth. "You're the one who hurt her!"

"Let the woman go," Vegeta intensified his glare and dropped his folded arms to his side as though he was preparing to use force.

He had yet to look at Bulma but she could see in his eyes that he was pissed. His fists were clenched tightly and his tail was bristled around his waist.

Behind them, the other Saiyans took a step forward in case a fight broke out and Dr Briefs grabbed hold of his wife's arm as she went to run over to them. Chi-Chi clutched her chest as her eyes widened in fear for her husband. What would happen if a fight broke out? Kakarot had told her many times that Vegeta's increase in power was crazy, but what about his? Was _he_ any stronger?

"I'm not going to repeat myself, third class." Vegeta spat. "She obviously doesn't want you to touch her."

That didn't break Kakarot's hold. Bulma looked up to him as she spoke. "Let me go, Kakarot." Bulma spoke as calmly as she could. "If it bothers you that much, you can follow us. I need to go to the medical room anyway."

"You only need to go there because of him!" Kakarot yelled before loosening his hold, seeing that it was a losing argument. "Are you sure about this, Bulma?"

"I wouldn't say it if I wasn't." She shrugged before walking out of Kakarot's hold and grabbing onto Vegeta's arm. Bulma saw that he was still glaring murderously at Kakarot and tugged on his arm to grab his attention. He turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow. "Will you take me to the medical room?" She gave him as much as a smile as possible, but the pain in her head and back was too much.

The Saiyan Prince nodded once before picking Bulma up and throwing her over his shoulder. Her eyes widened as a shriek tore out of her throat. If it hadn't been for her long, thick hair, Bulma would have been able to see the shocked looks that their audience were giving them. Forgetting about her pain and injuries, she punched his back, but nothing gained his attention and she eventually gave up, instead settling for folding her arms and pouting as though she was a sulking child.

It didn't take nearly as long as it would have taken Bulma to get to the medical room and only two seconds passed before the doors slammed open and everyone came barging in with Kakarot leading them. Bulma looked up when she saw Vegeta's fists tighten and she shook her head at him once to show that they won't hurt her.

"Do you mind telling us what the hell that was all about?" Bardock all but yelled as he stood in front of Bulma.

She looked away from Vegeta and glanced up at Bardock. Again, Bulma felt intimidated by his scary, no nonsense tone, but with Vegeta by her side, she didn't feel as weak as she had the last time. It, once again, felt as though she was feeding off of his attitude and strength.

"What is there to know?" Bulma narrowed her eyes. "I destroyed everything that was built on lies."

"What are you talking about?" Dr Briefs asked as he stepped beside his daughter and started to clean her wounds.

Bulma winced slightly at the sting she felt but otherwise held her angry face. "For ten years, you all lied to me. You all said that Kakarot truly cared about me, but it was just that stupid ritual."

"What ritual?" Chi-Chi yelled as she pushed passed Bardock. When she saw that Bulma wasn't going to answer, her eyes widened desperately. "Please Bulma, _what ritual?_"

The blue haired human looked up to Kakarot to see that his face was expressionless. Her eyes narrowed again before she looked back to Chi-Chi. "You have a right to know, so if Kakarot won't tell you then I will."

Raditz frowned. "Bulma, it's not your place-"

"The hell it isn't!" She screamed at him but calmed herself down when her father told her to stay still. "It has _everything_ to do with me since it's my fault if Gohan grows up without a father or if Chi-Chi loses her husband."

Chi-Chi's eyes widened once again and she quickly spun to look at Kakarot, who was refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Seeing that she would find no answers from him, Chi-Chi looked back to Bulma. "Explain," Was all she said as she glared at Bulma.

Bulma narrowed her eyes dangerously. "First of all, lose the attitude and pissed off look."

When she saw Chi-Chi drop the glare, Bulma's face became emotionless as she spoke about everything she had learned that day. She watched the emotions play out on Chi-Chi's face from sadness, to anger, to pure livid. However, Bulma was surprised that none of the anger was towards _her_. Instead, it was all directed towards Bulma's parents, Bardock, Turles and Kakarot himself. Maybe someone was finally on her side… Bulma inwardly laughed. _Chi-Chi_ on _her_ side? Yeah, like that would ever happen!

The wound on the side of her head was fixed up by the time she had finished and thankfully, she had only needed a couple of steristrips. Vegeta had stayed by her side and everyone except Mrs Briefs, Dr Briefs, Bardock, Kakarot and Chi-Chi had left the room. The medical room in her father's lab wasn't really big enough for six Saiyans as well as four humans and it was Turles and Raditz's turn to do the night watch.

Chi-Chi looked as though she was about to murder Kakarot and her parents looked guilty, whilst the Saiyans that were left all looked emotionless. It annoyed Bulma to no end. Did none of them feel guilty for putting this burden on her? What about Chi-Chi? She had a son with Kakarot! What was she supposed to tell their son if one day, his daddy just drops dead because Bulma died of natural causes or was attacked?

"So," Chi-Chi looked thoughtful for a moment, "if Kakarot is in pain, you feel it and if you're in pain, Kakarot feels it?"

Bardock shook his head. "No, if Bulma is in pain, Kakarot will feel it but Bulma won't feel it if Kakarot is in pain."

The brunette smirked. "Good," She said before hitting Kakarot over the head with one of the medical trays. "How could you do something like that?" She screamed at him. "Didn't you think of how it would affect our son? What about me? What about Bulma?"

Kakarot rubbed his head slightly and sighed. "Chi, I'm sorry but she's my friend. I have to protect her."

Chi-Chi's eyes widened with disbelief. "Then protect her without using some stupid ritual that will only cause more pain!"

They all winced at Chi-Chi's loud voice but the brunette just continued on with her rant. She was still yelling and screaming at her husband when Dr Briefs and Bardock stepped closer to Bulma to speak to her. At their approach, Vegeta also took a step forward, making Bulma's heart flutter and a smile grace her lips at the gesture.

"We want to run some tests, Bulma." Dr Briefs said gently.

Bulma's smile disappeared. "Why?" She spoke through clenched teeth. "I don't want you to run any tests on me."

Bardock sighed as he looked away from the obviously annoyed Prince to Bulma. "Bulma, what happened today wasn't something that comes from someone who is taking the correct medication. We just want to help you and ensure the safety of yourself and the others here at the Rebellion Army. You have unsettled quite a lot of people."

She quickly hopped off of the table and grabbed a hold of Vegeta's arm for support. "My medication is fine and I won't hurt anyone."

"How can you be so sure?" Kakarot frowned as both he and Chi-Chi joined the conversation.

Bulma rubbed her eyes as she spoke, looking completely worn out and sick of the conversation. "Because no one will ever piss me off as much as you have."

"Bulma," Kakarot frowned again. "I did this to protect you."

"I don't know how many times I have to say this Kakarot," Bulma spoke through clenched teeth, "but I don't want your protection if it means Gohan has to grow up without his father. He doesn't deserve something like that and neither does Chi-Chi."

Chi-Chi gave Bulma a small smile, but Bulma ignored it as she started to walk away with Vegeta by her side. Really, she wasn't giving him much of a choice to follow because she still felt as though she needed his strength. Bulma didn't like to admit needing help, but right now, she knew better than to let her pride get in the way.

Mrs Briefs stomped her foot on the ground as she glared at her daughter's back, "Bulma Briefs you get back here and sit on that table _right_ _now_!" She yelled loudly as she folded her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently against the floor.

Bulma froze in place at the sound of her mother's angry voice and tapping foot. Beside her, Vegeta looked down at her questioningly but Bulma ignored him as she turned around and sat back down on the table with her head lowered. She couldn't argue with her mother, no matter how angry Bulma was with her. Even though she wasn't strong, her mother could be a _very_ intimidating person when she wanted to be.

A smile replaced her scowl as she nodded at her daughter, "Now, whether you like it or not, you _are_ going to let your father and Bardock run some tests." Seeing that Bulma was about to argue, Mrs Briefs narrowed her eyes and held up her hand to silence her. "No Bulma, you have scared quite a lot of people with your behaviour today and they feel wary of you. To prove to them that you're okay, we need to run some tests and see for ourselves that you are. If you still refuse to take the tests and act like a child, then I will treat you like a child. No more missions, no more working in the labs, only training and eating."

"Fine," Bulma whispered, but kept her head lowered. "But I don't want anyone who doesn't need to be here in the room."

"That's perfectly fine, dear." Mrs Briefs smiled as she pushed Bulma's hair behind her ears. She then turned to Kakarot, Chi-Chi and Vegeta and gave them all a small smile. "You heard her."

Bulma frowned, "Actually mom… Vegeta is staying here. He needs to be in the room."

Kakarot's jaw dropped, as did everyone else's. He stalked forward until he was stood right in front of Bulma and narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you mean he needs to stay here? You barely even know him!"

"Kakarot has a point, dear." Dr Briefs also frowned.

She shook her head and looked down at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Bulma didn't want to have to explain herself to anyone, and after what they had done, she didn't think she needed to. So Bulma stayed quiet and kept her eyes glued on the ground.

His eyes widened with disbelief as Kakarot looked away from Bulma and to her parents. Was she really choosing _Vegeta_ over him? After everything they had been through? He had just said it, but she didn't even know him! It hurt knowing that Bulma trusted Vegeta more than him. Sure, he hadn't told her about the ritual, but only because he didn't think it was something that had to be discussed and also because Kakarot knew she would react this way. Was this how she felt when he bonded with Chi-Chi? Did she feel as betrayed as he did right now?

Mrs Briefs sighed, "If that is what you want, sweetie." She said as she shooed Kakarot and Chi-Chi out of the room. Mrs Briefs then turned back to her daughter, "Do you want me to stay or leave?"

Finally, Bulma looked back up, but she wished that she hadn't. The look of desperation in her mother's eyes was almost painful and Bulma wanted to help her but she wouldn't. No, they had all hurt her too much. "Leave," Bulma was surprised she could even talk because of the lump in her throat. Her eyes were threatening to show her sadness, but Bulma forced herself not to cry.

"Okay," Mrs Briefs whispered before rushing out of the room.

Dr Briefs frowned before removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "Your mother only wants what is best for you, Bulma."

Her empty expression returned as she stared at the wall in front of her. "Whatever."

This was it. They were all going to find out that she hadn't been taken her medication. Would they punish her? Bulma took a deep, shaky breath as her father and Bardock started to move around the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Vegeta leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest. Would Vegeta be mad at her? She inwardly scolded herself. Even if he was, she still wouldn't take the medication.

No, she didn't need those damn pills to help her and she didn't need anyone's help either.

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**A/N - Sorry! When I first came home last night, I barely had enough time to change my outfit before we went out again. Then, when I came home, I was so tired that I couldn't even change into my pyjamas! I didn't even know we would be going out last night, so I'm sorry.**

**Anyways, thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapter, especially viperkishino. You have no idea how grateful I am to hear that I'm doing well with writing about bipolar. As for '**_I just wanna rape this story. I wanna make wild hot no strings attached love with you. Then I want to watch you write a chapter. And then make love you to alover again. Now im going to go rape your profile'_ **thank you... I think. Na, your review made me laugh and really did make my day so thank you!****  
**

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**Preview for the next chapter:**

_"Thanks for letting me stay here," Bulma said quietly as she placed her bag onto the ground and took her shoes off._

_"Hn," Vegeta grunted as he folded his arms over his chest and watched her._

_Bulma raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"_

_Was there something on her face? Was she doing something wrong? Did she smell? Bulma pushed the paranoid thoughts away. If she smelled bad or had something on her face, Vegeta would have pointed it out. Sure, he would have done it to amuse himself with her reaction, but he would have pointed it out nonetheless. Then, a thought hit her and Bulma smirked._

_"Are you mad because I managed to actually surprise you earlier?" Bulma asked, referring to when she whispered in his ear and then attacked him._

_Vegeta's eyes narrowed. "You didn't surprise me."_

_"Oh?" Bulma smirked as she raised her eyebrow again. She walked forward until there was little less than an inch between their chests and ran her hand up Vegeta's chest until it found its way to the back of his head. Her fingers ran through his hair as she smiled up at him. As she leaned closer to Vegeta's lips, Bulma's eyes looked from his lips, back into his eyes and her smirk returned when she saw that they were hooded. "Because I recall seeing you blush at my words."_

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**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	23. Found Out Part 2

**Chapter 23 – Found Out Part 2**

"Bulma," Bardock said in a deadly serious voice. "Sit back down and listen to us."

They had just discovered that she wasn't taking her pills. No tests were carried out; Bulma simply told them that they weren't necessary because she wasn't, and never had been, taking any medication. Whilst Dr Briefs stared at his daughter with wide-eyed shock and Vegeta wore his usual empty mask, Bardock was quick to start lecturing her.

"There is nothing more that we need to discuss," Bulma shrugged as she walked over to the door. "I refuse to have to depend on medication to keep my emotions balanced."

"Stop acting like a child!" Bardock yelled as he followed Bulma out of the medical room. Vegeta was right on his heels and Bardock could feel his Prince's glare practically burning a hole in the back of his head. "You're putting not only yourself at risk, but everyone else here! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Bulma spun around to glare at Bardock. "No, it doesn't mean anything to me! None of you do. You all lied to me and treated me like I'm an idiot."

Bardock pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to calm the headache that was already forming. "Bulma," He spoke in a much calmer voice, seeing as though they were attracting the attention of others. "You need to take your medication. This isn't something you can just ignore."

"Don't you think I know that?" Bulma snapped as her glare intensified. "I've tried so hard to ignore it, but you all keep looking at me with pity and disgust and you all treat me like I'm about to break. No matter how hard I try, you are all there, reminding me that I'm… I'm… _weak_!" She screamed the last word.

"Nobody thinks of you as weak." Bardock frowned as he took a step towards the girl but in response, Bulma took a step back. "We worry about you Bulma and nobody wants to see you get hurt."

"I don't care," Bulma spoke in a low voice. "I'm tired of being treated differently and I'm sick of being lied to! Now if you don't mind, I'm going back to my rooms."

With that said, Bulma walked away. She didn't bother to wait for a reply from Bardock. The only time she looked back was when she could feel someone walking behind her. Of course, Bulma already knew it was only Vegeta. Even though he had stayed silent and in the background, Bulma didn't forget his presence for even a second.

When they reached her rooms, Bulma was surprised to see her door broken in half and leaning against the wall opposite her room and people coming in and out of her room carrying broken pieces of furniture and other ruined bits and pieces. Inside, she could hear her mother ordering people around whilst letting out the occasional, upset 'oh' as she found more torn photographs or other sentimental items.

Bulma turned her head to the side to see Vegeta was looking at her. When their eyes connected, he raised an eyebrow at her as though he was asking her what happened to her rooms. Smiling sheepishly, Bulma told him about how she had felt the need to destroy something. He seemed to think her answer was acceptable because he didn't ask any more questions, not that he had even asked one in the first place.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" Bulma asked as she looked back at him.

When Vegeta nodded once, Bulma entered her rooms, not even bothering to look at any of the surprised faces that stared at her and Vegeta as they walked through the apartment-like home. She was quick to grab a bag and fill it with toiletries as well as clean clothes before leaving. Once again, Bulma didn't bother to stop and talk when her mother tried to speak to her. It surprised her though when she saw that Kakarot, Chi-Chi and Gohan were also in the rooms helping clean up.

The sight of little Gohan picking up DVDs and placing them in the cases carefully made Bulma stop and stare at him. She tilted her head to the side slightly as she watched him. For a three year old boy, Gohan was a lot taller, stronger and smarter than she ever thought he would be as he could already tell which discs belonged in which cases. When he was done with the DVDs, he went on to help Mrs Briefs with the photographs. Gohan would occasionally ask the blonde and his father about them and look at them with a hint of intrigue before grinning, very much like Kakarot used to when he was younger. In one hand, he was currently holding a picture of a fourteen year old Bulma and Kakarot on the day they had been given their very first mission. Kakarot's grin was big and his arm was around Bulma's shoulders as he made the victory sign with his free hand. Bulma was smiling at the camera whilst also making the victory sign. In the other hand, there was a picture of Bulma, Bardock and Dr Briefs when they had finally finished building the ship. The three of them were stood in front of it and whilst Bulma had the biggest grin on her face, the two men were looking at the camera, each with a proud expression on their faces.

A hand touching her arm softly tore Bulma's attention away from the small boy as she turned and saw Chi-Chi giving her a small smile.

"I hope you don't mind," Chi-Chi spoke a little awkwardly as she gestured to the room. "We wanted to help out."

Bulma shook her head a little before looking back at her rooms. She really had destroyed them. The broken pieces of glass had already been picked up and a lot of work had been done, but her living room still looked a mess. It made her feel a little ashamed of her actions. "Thank you," Bulma said quietly to Chi-Chi as she looked back at the brunette.

Chi-Chi gave Bulma a more genuine smile this time. "It's fine. We honestly don't mind and if you ever need someone to talk to, feel free to come and find me. I know we haven't exactly seen eye to eye, but I would like to at least _try_ to be friends."

Again, Bulma nodded her head before looking back at the now smiling Gohan and leaving with Vegeta walking silently beside her. She wasn't sure why she reacted so strongly to seeing Gohan. Just the sight of him saddened her and Bulma didn't even know why. Was it because he was only a child and was being brought up as a part of the Rebellion Army like she had been? Bulma frowned as she continued to follow Vegeta to his room. Being a part of the Rebellion Army was dangerous and there were always casualties and deaths. Gohan was only three years old; he shouldn't be living this kind of life.

Vegeta opened his door and the two of them silently entered his rooms. Like Raditz's room, Vegeta's room was also only filled with the basics. He didn't have any decorations or anything unnecessary, his room was simple.

"Thanks for letting me stay here," Bulma said quietly as she placed her bag onto the ground and took her shoes off.

"Hn," Vegeta grunted as he folded his arms over his chest and watched her.

Bulma raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

Was there something on her face? Was she doing something wrong? Did she smell? Bulma pushed the paranoid thoughts away. If she smelled bad or had something on her face, Vegeta would have pointed it out. Sure, he would have done it to amuse himself with her reaction, but he would have pointed it out nonetheless. Then, a thought hit her and Bulma smirked.

"Are you mad because I managed to actually surprise you earlier?" Bulma asked, referring to when she whispered in his ear and then attacked him.

Vegeta's eyes narrowed. "You didn't surprise me."

"Oh?" Bulma smirked as she raised her eyebrow again. She walked forward until there was little less than an inch between their chests and ran her hand up Vegeta's chest until it found its way to the back of his head. Her fingers ran through his hair as she smiled up at him. As she leaned closer to Vegeta's lips, Bulma's eyes looked from his lips, back into his eyes and her smirk returned when she saw that they were hooded. "Because I recall seeing you blush at my words."

Her words seemed to have no effect as Vegeta's hands found their way to her hips and pulled her forward, closing the little to no space that had been there. However, just as Vegeta was about to kiss her, Bulma placed a finger on his lips, causing him to pause in his movements and look at her with a hint of annoyance. She didn't say a word as she pulled out of his hold and locked the door. Vegeta looked at her questioningly when she turned around but Bulma simply shook her head as she returned to him.

The pair wasted no time in crushing their lips against each other's. Bulma sighed as Vegeta grabbed her thighs and lifted her and she was quick to wrap her legs around his waist as she pressed her chest against his.

When she was pressed against the wall however, there was a knock on his door, making them both growl.

Would they ever have a moment's peace? Vegeta let go of Bulma as she sighed before walking to the kitchen. With annoyance written all over his face, Vegeta yanked the door open with more force than necessary. When he saw who it was, he growled.

"This better be good, Nappa." He said warningly.

Nappa sighed. He wasn't happy that he had been chosen as the one to come and find Vegeta and Bulma because unlike the others, he had a very good idea as to what the two were doing or what they were about to do. Even though Vegeta hated to admit it, Nappa knew everything about the Prince and could read him as though he was an open book.

"Believe me, Vegeta, it is." Nappa sighed once again as he rubbed his forehead. "There is an emergency meeting that both you and Bulma need to attend."

Vegeta growled again as his grip on the door tightened. Sensing his distress, Bulma appeared seconds later, looking up at Nappa questioningly.

Ever since she found out that he didn't actually hate her and had little to no control over his body and actions thanks to the ritual, it made her feel a little more comfortable around him. However, she wasn't completely comfortable because if she made just one wrong move, there was no doubt in Bulma's mind that he would unthinkingly destroy her. The thought made her inwardly shudder. He wouldn't even know if he was about to do it, he would simply kill her without realising it.

"There's an emergency meeting." Vegeta stated as he stepped out of the room.

Bulma sighed as she pulled on her shoes and followed him out, locking the door behind her. After she handed the Saiyan Prince his key, they started walking towards the meeting room. Bulma had a pretty good idea what the meeting would be about and if they even mentioned her not taking her medication, she was going to beat them all to within an inch of their lives and leave.

Thankfully, Vegeta's room wasn't too far from the meeting rooms. That was mostly because he was – in Bulma's opinion – a control freak who had to know about every little thing that was going on. He preferred to be close in case anything happened.

As they entered the room, Bulma saw that everyone was already there waiting for them. Also, she noticed that quite a lot of them didn't look particularly thrilled to see her. Bulma merely growled at them as she took her usual seat next to Kakarot. Vegeta took his place at the head of the table since he was a Prince and the strongest in the army. It made Bulma inwardly groan. The jerk already had an oversized ego!

"Prince Vegeta," Bardock nodded once as he looked around the table. "I have called for an emergency meeting because Turles and Raditz have found some disturbing news."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed, as did everyone else's. "What did you find?" He demanded as he turned to Raditz and Turles.

Raditz leaned forward slightly as an angry looked settled on his features. The look made Bulma's eyes widen a fraction. She hadn't seen _that_ crazed look since he attacked her, the first time they ever met!

"Whilst we were watching the docking station, Turles said that he could feel the presence of enemies coming closer." Seeing that the others were silently demanding for him to hurry up and continue, Raditz spoke again, "We're completely surrounded."

"How many?" It was Kakarot who spoke.

"Possibly fifteen to twenty thousand," Turles answered his nephew, making almost everyone pale.

Bulma glared at the table. There weren't that many warriors in the Rebellion Army! Sure, they had newcomers every day, but some of the people who were staying here were civilians. "How did they get passed our defence system?" She demanded. "I set that thing up myself, nobody but a selected few can change the settings!"

"It seems we have a traitor in the army." Bardock sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

Mrs Briefs's eyes shot up and down the table. "What about the reflectors? Couldn't we switch them on and hide the ship?"

"It won't do any good." Nappa stated.

Bulma nodded. "For once, I agree with Nappa. Even if we switch them on, we're already surrounded. There's no way out unless we go through them."

Vegeta remained silent as he went over battle strategies in his mind. Kakarot was also doing this and the two of them exchanged a look as they thought over plans. No doubt they would have to put aside their differences and team up. The thought alone made Vegeta grit his teeth and clench his fists.

"What I would like to know is why the reflectors weren't on in the first place." Dr Briefs mused as he looked from Bardock to Bulma.

Bulma frowned. "We have a traitor somewhere in the army. If they managed to tell the enemy our location and disengage the defence system, then there is no doubt they switched the reflectors off since they're a part of the defence."

"What are we going to do?" Mrs Briefs cried.

"We're going to stay calm." Nappa said to the blonde as though it was obvious. "Getting all wound up isn't going to help anything. We need the strongest warriors to be stationed at every exit and the ones who are merely civilians should stay hidden."

The blue haired heiress wasn't surprised at how fast Nappa had come up with a plan. Bardock had told her that he used to be the general of the Saiyan army before their planet was destroyed. You would have to be a quick thinker if you were in charge of so many Saiyans. Just the ones here in this room with her annoyed her to no end. '_Proud, arrogant bastards think they know everything!_' Bulma inwardly growled.

"Is the force field around the ship disengaged too?" Kakarot asked.

Bulma nodded, "Most likely." She then turned to her father. "Dad, since you're not a fighter and the safest place for you and mom to be right now is my lab, go there. From there, you will be able to switch on the defence system once again. Stay there until the fight is over." Bulma then sighed before looking at Kakarot. "Where are Chi-Chi and Gohan? They should go there too."

Just as she asked, the entire ship shook and two seconds later, Kakarot shot up out of his seat, as well as everyone else.

"Mom, dad, get out of here," Bulma yelled at them. "Bardock, you should go with them. Your headaches are going to be a hindrance and if anyone manages to slip passed us, they will need protecting."

Bardock frowned but knew she was right. So without hesitation, he picked Dr and Mrs Briefs up and ran out of the room and towards Bulma's lab. He would have to ask later why her lab was the safest place for them to be.

Vegeta looked out of one of the windows to see many ships all creeping closer. "Raditz, go with Bardock. I have a feeling we're going to need more than just your father to protect them. When you get to him, tell him to try and land the ship onto the closest planet."

Although he hated to do it, Raditz did as his Prince told him and left the room. When he was gone, Vegeta turned back around and faced the others who were all looking at him expectantly. The first team he turned to was Bulma and Kakarot's. "You work best as a team," He said a little reluctantly. "So put aside your differences for now and protect-"

"Vegeta-" Bulma growled, but both of them were silenced as the door slammed open, revealing a tall man as he panted for air.

"P-Prince Vegeta, Kakarot," The man stuttered after seeing the obviously annoyed Prince glare at him. "We're under attack and the enemies are coming from everywhere! They're on the ship."

Kakarot nodded. "Yes, we know." He then looked away from Vegeta and Bulma and at the man. "Tell us the situation so far."

"Y-Yes sir! The strongest warriors are fighting whilst the weaker ones are helping the civilians get to safety, but there are too many of them."

Just as he was about to speak, Kakarot's eyes widened and a look of pure fear and horror flashed across his face, "Chi-Chi!"

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**A/N - I told you all that shit would be going down ;-)**

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**Preview for the next chapter:**

_"Bulma," Kakarot growled as he came to a stop in the middle of the meeting room._

_She frowned. "What the hell are we doing here?"_

_"Your lab is too far and I can sense at least sixty of them coming towards us." Kakarot looked desperately around the large room as he tried to find a place for Chi-Chi and Gohan to hide. "Damn it!" He growled._

_There was no telling how strong the enemies were since he was focusing on the fact that he needed to find somewhere for his mate and son to hide. Kakarot didn't want them to have to see what he and Bulma were about to do because when they fought, they pushed aside all emotions and even though they kill their adversaries quickly, it's not always painlessly. Even if it was, it was still something that Kakarot didn't want his family to see._

_Before Bulma could say anything to Kakarot, the doors burst open, revealing many more than what Kakarot had predicted. There were at least two hundred there and that's with Bulma's_ positive_ thinking. If she thought about it pessimistically, she would say there were hundreds more. She stole a quick glance at the whimpering Gohan and fussing Chi-Chi as she tried to keep him calm._

_What could she do? There were way too many of them for her and Kakarot. Even combined, the enemy were still going to have the advantage due to their numbers. That and the fact they couldn't go all out with Chi-Chi and Gohan in the room._

_"Kakarot," Bulma said in a low voice as her eyes darted across the warriors who were coming closer._

_"I know." He nodded once as he too realised that they were majorly outnumbered._

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**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


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